(6) The Dragon Boarder: Closure - Act II
by Dustnblood
Summary: Though Viggo and Ryker Grimborn were defeated, Hiccup and Matt Haddock had little time to enjoy their victory. With Ukiah and a girl name Lydia bringing news of Thariin coming to invade Berk, they were now busy preparing for war. Aside from that, they also learned exactly what Ukiah was doing while away at his home, Crev.
1. Chapter 1: Found, Never Lost

**As a forewarning, if you hadn't read Act I, you will not understand the beginning of this story. It takes place IMMEDIATELY after. I recommend reading that before you start this one.**

 _ **Chapter One: Found, Never Lost**_

* * *

Ukiah grunted as he fumbled with a large rock. Using his body to create leverage with it, he made sure his one arm had a good grip. Satisfied, he then hobbled into the pool of water that he was building up in the middle of the village ruins. Since he had made his decision to revive the Crevites, he had spent the time with Jessika doing exercises and trainings to make him not only physically tougher, but mentally as well. Wading through the water, he set it down on the dam he was tasked to build.

"You're getting stronger, Ukiah." Jessika called out from her seat. "Not just your body, but your mind as well."

"I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't feeling that way." He admitted, turning to face her. He had recently spent an entire week working on the dam, rebuilding it since she told him that there used to be a large pool of water near the village square. Because of his training, he rarely wore his hunting vest or chainmail; only his hunting pants. Days of toiling in the sun, as well as the labor in physically preparing himself, had darkened his already tanned body. His scars, especially the one in the center of his chest, seemed to contrast like a torch in a cave. His hair was taken out of its usual braid, given that he couldn't do it himself anymore. He had let it hang low near his shoulders, making him seem even five years older than he really was. His scruffy beard also added to his age, turning him from a young, seasoned hunter; to a hardened warrior.

"It shows on your countenance. You're not only feeling more confident, you're believing it."

Ukiah nodded, agreeing with her. Truth was, he was believing it more and more every single day. His first 'trial' that Jessika had him do, was to meditate for an entire week, stopping only to eat and drink when it became unbearable. The purpose was to learn how to identify his connection with his ancestors; and to learn how to tap into his cold anger that burned inside of him. That experience alone seemed to reinforce his decision to stay and become the Chief of the Crevites.

"That should be good, Ukiah." Jessika called out, pulling herself up with her staff. "You've proven that you're ready for your final trial. After which you'll be sent on your initiation test."

"A trial for a test?" He huffed, kneeling in the water to ensure the rock wouldn't slide out. Grunting as he pushed it in farther, he asked "Why do I have to go through so many trials in order to be tested?"

"To ensure the test won't overload you; both physically and mentally."

Turning to her with a raised eyebrow, he then waded out of the pool towards his gear. "What is this test for then?"

"As it sounds. It's an initiation. If you pass this, you've proven that you're worthy to be Chief."

Making the connection, he began to nod as he grabbed a large towel to wipe himself dry. "I think I understand…since there's no Chief for me to challenge, I have to do this to prove my strength. But…to who? You?"

Shaking her head, Jessika walked up to him and grabbed his vest. Handing it to him, she watched as he worked to put it on with his single arm. "Not to me. To your ancestors. They won't help you if you don't prove to them that you're their future. When someone challenged the Chief to assume his or her position, it wasn't intended to only show the village who was stronger, but our ancestors. If it was their will, then the person would conquer the former chief. If they failed…it meant they didn't support them."

Ukiah shook his head as he straightened his chainmail. "I guess I'm still getting used to the idea that our ancestors play such a role in our lives.

"We have to have them involved. If we ever hope to bring our people back."

Ukiah frowned as he nodded. Something was still bugging him about bringing his people back, even with his resolution to change a few things. Something was…off.

"You'll understand it soon enough…" She replied with a calming smile. Reaching up, she stroked his cheek and whispered "I know your father is proud of you. I'm sure he wishes he could be here with you to guide and council you. Even as a seer, my advice can only go so far. It's different from a father's position."

Closing his eyes in a silent angst, he could only nod. "I'm ready to start my final trial…"

"Not yet. Tomorrow. We'll begin at noon."

"Fair enough. What should I do to prepare myself?"

"See to your personal needs. Prepare your fortitude. This trial tests even those that are the strongest willed. Your father struggled with this during his rite of passage." At that, she turned to walk to her room, etched into the smooth stone cliff wall as all the other rooms and houses were.

Sighing, Ukiah knelt down and picked up his mom's sword, laid in a homemade sheath he scratched together. Slipping the belt over his shoulder, he let it hang behind his back as he began to walk his own direction.

Shaking his head, he couldn't help but feel conflicted inside. His mind felt like he was doing the right thing, even logically; but his heart wasn't still…at peace. Even with his resolve to bring back the Crevites his way. What was going on? Shouldn't he feel peace in both heart and mind? As he experienced before?

Sighing, he turned to look up above the cliff walls. There, standing a top and staring down at him, was Lasher, the Triple Stryke that refused to leave his side since he was freed from the Dragon Hunter's fight arena. The purple and yellow dragon stared at him with an earnest look, as if asking if he was done for the day.

"Come on, friend. Let's go for a ride. Perhaps we can find another goat while hunting." He called out.

Lasher roared with excitement, leaping off the cliff. Diving straight at his rider, he pulled up just feet in front of him, letting the wind create a mini dust storm around the two.

Smiling, Ukiah quickly leaped on his saddle, not even needing to use his arm. One thing he couldn't deny about his 'trials', were that they were helping him cope with losing his arm. And with the loss of his friend, Arrow. He knew Arrow was with him; supporting him from another world. It was really his driving force in becoming who he was supposed to; all to avenge the Sand Wraith.

Grabbing the crossbow strapped to the saddle, he whispered in Lasher's ear "Let's go see if we can't see anything by the Patriarchs. Those massive stones always have some kind of goat or deer nearby.

Lasher growled in acknowledgement. Launching in the air, he flew above the canyon walls and towards three massive rock pillars in the distance, which Ukiah took to calling the Patriarchs since deciding to live at Crev.

Staring at their destination, all he could do was think what the final trial would be, and why Jessika said it would test even the strongest willed person.

* * *

"Are you ready, Ukiah?"

"I am."

Jessika nodded in satisfaction, seeing Ukiah stand there with all his gear and Lasher behind him. "I believe you are as well. Now, take off your gear. Strip yourself of all items and garbs that would otherwise offer protection or comfort."

Surprised at the requirement, he did as he was told.

Grabbing some linen shorts, Jessika then handed them to him as he continued to shed his gear. "These are the only things you're allowed to wear. And if you didn't guess by now, Lasher will not accompany you either."

Lasher growled with narrowed eyes, understanding that Ukiah would be alone for whatever the task would be.

After a few minutes of changing his clothes, and sorting his gear, Ukiah stood up straight in nothing other than the shorts provided to him.

"You see the stream that runs through the middle of our village?"

"Yes."

"Follow it. Trek through the crevice. Find its source, and emerge on the other end."

"Simple enough." He replied, raising an eyebrow at the task.

"All while under the effects of this." At that, Jessika pulled out a small glass vial, no bigger than a thumb. Inside was a dark, purple liquid. "Drink all of its contents before you enter the cave."

Taking the vial, Ukiah stared at the purple liquid. "What is it?"

Jessika let a small, sheepish smile grow on her face. "To be blunt with you, it's a poison."

Ukiah's head whipped up and stared at her with a mixture of confusion and anger.

"It's not lethal, obviously, but it is a poison that will…dull your skills and comprehension. Your father explained to me that it felt like he was drowning the entire trek through. Your mother did this as well; she told me that she had never felt so hopeless or tested in all her life."

"Has this trial it killed anyone before?"

"Not while I was living. Though I have heard that a handful of participants that went through the trial, were found dead."

"What's the point of this trial then? What's it supposed to prove?"

"To prove that you're a warrior and possible leader to the tribe. One that is able to be used by our ancestors. If they believe in you, they will help you traverse through your journey. If not, then you never will make it to the end. This trial either determined you were a warrior, or a farmer or hand maid. I never attempted the trial, as I was the seer's apprentice; but I know that I would not have made it. It's the perfect sift. No middle ground. No exceptions. No false warriors or leaders."

Ukiah made the connection, realizing why this trial was different from his initiation test. "This proves that I'm worthy to be tested as the chief. This makes me ranked with-"

"Ranked with those like your father. Only the strongest can even attempt to become a warrior for the tribe, let alone become the chief." Jessika finished for him.

Staring at the vial, Ukiah nodded in understanding. "I'm ready then. How long has this trial lasted?"

"The longest? Two days. The shortest? A day and part of the night."

"No time to waste then." He whispered, looking at the vial with resolve. Turning to Lasher, who was eyeing the vial with suspicion, he whispered "I'll be fine, friend. I'll be back before you know it."

Lasher growled, closing his eyes and resting his massive head in his chest.

Holding his dragon with his arm, he simply whispered "I know you and Arrow are behind me." At that, he let go and began to hike alongside the stream.

He had never actually walked along the stream, given that he was always busy with Jessika preparing him and then the occasional ride and hunt with Lasher. Time wasn't really a luxury he had since arriving to Crev. Now…he was not only going to have to spend time with the stream, he was going to have to conquer it. With some sort of adverse effects from a poison.

Shaking his head, he held the vial up in front of him. What was this stuff? And what was it supposed to do? His only guess as to what it did, was make him feel as if he was heavily drunk.

"Guess I'll find out…" He huffed, seeing the stream lead him into a narrow slot canyon. Taking a deep breath, he turned to see Jessika busy at the fire pit in the village square. Next to her was Lasher, not taking his eyes off of him.

Soaking in the sight, he took a deep breath, and marched into the stream and up narrow slot canyon. Being a little slower since he didn't have his boots, he shimmied his way through, with the water rising to his knees. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through the water, now acting as a torrent within the narrow space. Making sure each step had a secure foothold, he now understood why the trek took so long to do. He wasn't even at the cave he was supposed to traverse through!

Step for step, minute by minute, and hour to hour, he slowly made his way up the stream. The canyon itself made it where he had suck his chest in, just to pass through some points in the hike. Eventually, with the sky above him turning fire orange, he finally arrived to his destination. Breaking into a large opening, he stared at the cave ahead of him.

"This is it, huh?" He whispered to himself, walking up to the entrance. Eyeing the darkness ahead, he noticed a worn, half-destroyed crate. Inside were a couple of torches, a few containers, and a piece of flint and steel. Knowing it was left for those to do this 'trial', he instantly began to prepare a torch. Soaking one of them with the oil in a container, he then used his foot to hold the piece of metal down, and scraped the flint against it. Though he was learning how to live with one arm, he still wished he had to ability to use another hand. The sparks instantly lit the torch, burning bright and strong. Sticking the torch upright in the ground, he then grabbed the vial. Staring at it, he let out a deep sigh and bit down on the cork and pulled it off. Without a second thought, he then chugged the entire container before he could even taste it.

"Agh!" He cried, collapsing onto his knees. He couldn't believe how fast the poison worked. His world suddenly darkened, while his sight went into a narrow tunnel vision. "Urrghhh…gods!" He cried out in agony, feeling his stomach twist in such a sharp pain that he rolled over onto his side. Clutching his stomach he tried to fight the excruciating pain. He was sweating from every inch of his body, adding to the frenzied feeling. The pain felt as if something had ripped out his insides and twisted them in a hundreds of knots! His body was screaming at him for even thinking about drinking the poison. His breath shortened as he tried to focus on not passing out. How was anyone to walk after drinking that? Let alone pass a trial?! How did his dad and mom do it? How did anyone do it?!

Then the feeling he was training to hone in on began to break through the pain and enshrouding darkness. It was calm, cold feeling. Gritting his teeth, he slowly rolled to his knees. Gripping the ground with his hand, he then forced himself up onto his feet. His head instantly began to spin around at the movement, but he forced himself to step forward. Slowly grabbing the torch, he stumbled into the cave and continued to follow the stream.

His already darkened vision didn't help him with seeing. Stumbling through, he felt his feet slip on the wet rocks. Crashing into the water, he forced himself to keep the torch raised and out of the water. Feeling the cold water rush over his body, he tried to sit up as fast as he could. Groaning, he awkwardly rolled to his feet and pushed on.

"…herald…chief…"

Ukiah froze in the darkness, his limited vision trying to pierce the dark with the torch's light. Was someone calling him?"

"…death…"

Feeling his world spin, he leaned against the wall of the cave. He wished he could clutch his stomach, but was forced to hold onto the torch. The voices he was hearing, they weren't help calm his already frenzied body. "Wh-who's there?" He called out weakly, trying to peer ahead.

"…vengeance…hate…blood…"

"Agh! Shut up!" He roared, crumpling in the water in pain and frustration. "Who is that?!" The voice sounded like it was behind him now, moving around him with every word spoken.

"…alone…failure…friendless…"

Ukiah was about the throw the torch at where he heard the voice last, only to find himself staring at the side of the cave. Even with his narrow tunnel vision and frenzied mind, he knew he couldn't risk losing his only source of light.

"…denial…puppet…"

Realizing what he drank was probably something that made him hallucinate, he growled to himself as he ignored the taunting and words he feared. "My ancestors better appreciate that I'm doing this…"

Fighting the relentless pain in his stomach, as well as the enshrouding tunnel vision, he pushed on through; disappearing into the infinite darkness with a single torch leading his way.

* * *

"Gah!" He cried out, stumbling into the water for the thousandth time.

"…devil…"

Another voice sounded off, making him grit his teeth in frustration as he forced his legs to move.

After what felt like hours, he finally emerged out of the cramped cavern, pushing against the current of the stream; he finally stepped out into another slot canyon. Thankfully a lot wider than the one that led him to the cave.

Though his stomach had settled slightly, his world was still spinning and dark. The voices never stopped, almost driving him insane. They were so real, that he had to fight the urge to try and find them. To make matters worse, the torch he had was nothing but a stick with some embers at the end of it. Closing his eyes in a tired angst, he dropped it in the stream and forged on. Looking up above the slick rock canyon, he stared at the stars shining straight down on him. A half-moon was also visible, lighting his path way enough that it wasn't pitch black.

Shaking his head with what was left of his exhausted energy, he looked ahead through his distorted vision. A small sandbar was banked around a corner, looking like a haven for a brief moment. Fumbling through the knee high water, he collapsed on the wet sand and rolled over onto his back. The mud seemed to embrace him with a welcomed coolness, given that his body felt like it was burning up.

Staring at the night sky above him, he whispered to himself "Wish you were here with me…Arrow. Heh, I guess anyone really. Lasher, Jessika, Heather, Matt, Astrid, even Hiccup. Wish anyone could be here right now."

"…homeless…"

Closing his eyes to shut out the voices, he cast his mind back to Dragon's Edge. The thought of the others seemed to make his stomach instantly cramp again. Gripping his stomach, he rolled over to his side. What was happening with them? Were they alright with the war between Riders and Hunters? Was he selfish in leaving them to find his home island?

"Gods' help them…" He huffed, closing his eyes to try to quell the pain. He never once took the time to think of them. Since he first met Jessika, it was like his mind was frenzied. That, and his decision to revive the Crevites clouded all else.

Digging his hand into the cool, moist sand, the thought crossed his mind that he should stay and rest; start again in the morning when the poison passed through his body. Then he realized that the poison probably had a longer duration than the time it would take to complete the actual trial. Letting out a soft sob, he waited until his stomach stopped feeling like it was getting wrenched out of him.

"…Crevite…"

Rolling onto his knees, he let the thought creep into his mind. "How am I going to finish this? How is it even possible?" His legs felt like they were tied to anchors; his willpower was all but gone. What was the point in suffering like this? Just to prove himself to his dead ancestors.

"Ancestors." He whispered, recalling what Jessika told him earlier, in that his ancestors would support him through it. Grimacing in pain, he decided to give it a shot. Rolling over so that he was at least sitting, he simply bowed his head and began to think of his family he never really knew. His dad. His mom. All the Legna's before them. If this was something he was supposed to do, then surely they'd help him.

"…Ukiah…"

That was a first. He never heard his name before. Not sure what to expect, he thought he heard a soft growl. Opening his eyes, he gasped at what he saw. Not an ancestor. Not a person. Not even strength to fight the poison! It was an illuminated brown and black dragon, staring at him from farther down the slot canyon. He had spikes aligned along his back and wings, making him look like an arrowhead.

Ukiah couldn't help but sob out the words: "Arrow…"

The ghost-like figure then turned, walking farther into the slot canyon and out of view.

"Arrow! Wait!" He cried, fumbling onto his feet. As he tried to chase after…whatever he was seeing, his mind moved faster than his legs. Crashing down into the water, he felt his leg get jabbed by something. Ignoring it, he made his body chase after the fainting light. His vision was tunneling even more now, due to the stress of seeing his friend again and trying to function with the poison. Breathing became a chore to do, in a sense creating a drowning feeling.

Rounding the turn where he saw Arrow disappear too, he was able to catch the illuminated tail disappear around another corner further ahead.

"Arrow! Please! Come back!" He shouted, almost in hysteria. He didn't care if it was a hallucination from the poison; he needed to get to his friend! Using his hand to guide him along the canyon walls, he ran blindly after the Sand Wraith. His vision was finally clouding over to where he couldn't see anything. Again, his legs tripped against a rock protruding from the canyon wall, sending him crashing into the water again. Fumbling on his hand and knees, he tried to continue his chase. "Please! Slow down!" He tried to cry out, feeling sick inside again.

Crawling through the water, he finally calmed down enough to get a little bit of his eyesight back. Bracing himself against the wall of the canyon, he took a moment to catch his breath. Looking ahead, through the tunnel vision, he gasped as he saw that he was standing at a wide area within the canyon. The path itself was split into a fork, with a waterfall that was pouring down the middle of it. It was the source of the stream! This was the end of his trial.

Closing his eyes to try and recuperate, he shook his head; which proved to be a mistake. His brain felt like it was bouncing around in his skull, adding to the painful task of simply trying to see. Was Arrow helping him finish? Or…was he just hallucinating what he saw? Was it a side effect of the poison?

"…Death's Herald…"

Ukiah reluctantly opened his eyes, looking for the source of the voice. Glancing at the pathway that forked to the right, he gasped as he saw an individual standing there. Stood up straight and tall, the eerie figure wore heavy looking armor plating. His face was expressionless, and all that could be seen in detail was his mouth. Honestly, Ukiah thought he was part of the walking dead.

Seeing that he had the Crevite's attention, the ghostly figure let out a sly smile. "…Herald…decide your fate…choose your path…"

Shaking his head, Ukiah kneeled down and splashed his already wet face to try and wake himself up. "Ugh, what…what am I seeing?"

"…choose…"

Looking back up, he gasped as he swore he was staring at an army of ghostly individuals, all blurred together behind the lone figure. They seemed to create a pathway as if to beckon him to continue down the path to the right.

Confused, he then heard a familiar growl. Looking to his left, he gasped as he saw Arrow standing on the pathway to the left. Sitting on his haunches, he just stared at Ukiah with an inquisitive expression, silently asking if he was really debating on which path to take. Behind him, he swore he saw Hiccup, Stoick, Astrid, Matt, Heather, and all the other riders.

"…Arrow…" He choked out.

"…choose…avenge us…"

Ukiah let out another gasp, feeling as if something punched him in the stomach. Collapsing on his knees, he painfully looked up to see the individual stand over him and stare him down.

"…avenge us…"

Glancing back at Arrow, he let out a stifled cry. Arrow was already turning around and walking away, as if to leave Ukiah behind. The others were gone, as if his hesitancy was his choice.

"No, Arrow…wait."

Arrow stopped to turn, looking at him with a resolved expression.

Ignoring the ghost-like figure, Ukiah fumbled onto his feet. If this was a choice, it was an easy one to make. Shuffling up the path to the left, he turned to see that the individual and other figures were gone. Leaving him alone. Returning his attention to the path he was taking, he gasped to see that Arrow was gone too! He was alone, just like when he started this trial.

"No…don't…don't leave me!" He cried out. Trying to run down the path, he stumbled and fell flat on his face. His heart was pumping in anxiety, almost helping shroud his vision even more so. Dragging his knees along, he used the side of the canyon to help himself up, ignoring the mud that was getting caked on him and the jabbing pain in his leg that seemed to grow with every passing minute.

Not needing to worry about the stream tripping him up, he ran his hand along the wall of the cliff edge, guiding himself through the dark path. No sooner had he rounded a corner, he gasped at what he saw. He was on a trail. A trail that led down to Crev. He could see the canyon that made up the walls and rooms of his ruined village.

Shaking his head, he collapsed onto his rear and stared at the sight. What did he just see? Was it significant at all? Turning to his right, he saw an exit from another pathway, looking like it came from the way that the figure was trying to coax him to take.

"What…what in Helheim…" He whispered, closing his eyes in angst and confusion.

Hearing what sounded like a growl, he turned his head to see Arrow's head floating over something. A small sand dune. Looking like he was smiling at him, the apparent apparition of Arrow slowly disappeared with the rising sun peeking over the horizon. He had been in there all night!

Stumbling onto his hand and knees, he crawled over to where Arrow disappeared too. Staring at the sand pile, he noticed something shift in it. Confused, tired, and in pain, Ukiah weakly brushed some of the sand away. He felt a hard object underneath, but…it was moving. A little more coherent, he continued to brush the sand away with what was left of his vigor, trying to see what was underneath it. Realizing what he was uncovering, he gasped "By the gods…"

A large, single egg lay there in the sand. Though the startling part was the fact it was cracked open! A baby dragon was trying to emerge from it. Staring at it with amazement, he let out a silent gasp as its head finally broke through the shell. A tiny, spike-littered dragon let out a cry of triumph, finally breaking free from its little prison. Using its tiny rows of teeth, it began to bite off pieces of the shell. Small claws also began to pierce through the shell at random, helping the tiny dragon continue to whittle down the egg.

Ukiah couldn't believe it. He honestly thought it was the poison still in him that was making him see what he was watching. As the dragon finally shattered the egg around it, it tumbled down right into his lap.

Ukiah lost his already shallow breath at the sight, recognizing the brown and black coloration. The tiny spikes along its wings and back, the dragon looked nothing more than a giant horny toad with wings. It was a baby Sand Wraith!

The dragon screeched a high-pitched roar, sounding more like a squeak and less of a display of dominance. Looking up at Ukiah, it let out a wide smile with rows of its tiny teeth flashing at him. It had no idea what to think of the giant creature that it fell into, but it clearly thought it was its mom or at least caretaker.

"Thank you…" He whispered out loud, reaching down and grabbing it with his hand. Cradling it in his arm, he let it gnaw on his thumb as he tried to get onto his feet. "Thank you, Arrow…you've given me more than just another Sand Wraith…you've given yourself back to me…You gave me a piece of myself back…" Looking down at the baby Sand Wraith, he whispered "I'm not going to let anything happen to you…Arrow."

With the sun rising, lighting the world up, he slowly limped towards the ruins as the pain from all the stumbles and crashes during his trek was setting in. Even the poison refused to let up with the inspiring sight, but it mattered little him now. He had Arrow. He was back in his life. And for the first time, he felt peace in his heart.

* * *

 **Well, here we go. I'm going to try to get this finished before too long, though I don't really have an idea for a ETA of finishing it. In case anyone was wondering, this is probably the last Dragon Boarder I'll write for a while. It's not the last one EVER, but the last one for a bit. Aside from school starting up again, I kind of want to write other stories. Again, we'll see how that goes.**

 **Either way, here's to another DB story! Thanks for those who supported, followed, and reviewed the previous one. I hope this story meets expectations!**


	2. Chapter 2: A Thousand Truths, One Lie

**Chapter Two: A Thousand Truths, One Lie**

The fire crackled loudly as Jessika dumped another arm load of wood into it. Turning, she watched Ukiah continue to feed the baby Sand Wraith pieces of fish, with Lasher laying close by. The little spike had proven to have lots of energy since he hatched, having already scratched and gnawed through everything given it, including its food. But the curious thing was how Ukiah handled himself around it. It was as if he had known the beast his entire life. Shaking her head with a curious smile, she then looked over where Ukiah laid himself. Resting against a large rock, he looked as if he pulled himself out of a fight. His face was pale, and his entire body was covered in scrapes and cuts; not to mention having a whole layer of mud caked on him. His leg had the worse injury from his trial, having had a stick stabbed in it, which she was able to easily remove.

"Easy, Arrow…" He whispered, weakly playing tug of war with the baby dragon.

Arrow refused to listen, screeching a high pitch roar. Tugging on the fish, he finally pulled it out of Ukiah's grasp and tumbled end over end with his prize.

Chuckling, Jessika took a seat on some nearby stairs. "I'm still amazed, Ukiah. The trial was supposed to last a whole day. You did it with fifteen to eighteen hours. No warrior has done that. You really are going to become the most feared Crevite that ever lived!"

"It sure felt longer than that…" He whispered, closing his eyes and leaning back. "I've never experienced that kind of…frustration and agony before. At least physically. What was that stuff?"

"I'm…unsure. It's a mixture that I can only make by following the directions specifically. All I know, it's been part of our tradition and trial for as long as we recorded our history. I do know that it's supposed to test one's ability to focus and hone in on our ability."

Ukiah nodded, being mixed with understanding and simply because his body still felt like it was on fire. Though his vision was getting better, he was sure it was due to the rest he had since he returned. Thankfully, the voices had vanished, leaving him alone and in peace.

Lasher then growled, seeing Arrow waddle towards him. Sniffing the baby Sand Wraith, he simply nudged him with his head and pushed him over.

Arrow shrieked in anger, to which he instantly rolled over and growled back at him.

Lasher simply smirked at the brown dragon, not feeling threatened at all.

Even more angry, Arrow leaped right at the Triple Stryke, teeth bared out. Latching himself onto one of the bigger dragon's tails, he tried to wrestle with it.

Almost scoffing, Lasher raised the tail up and over his head, dangling the Sand Wraith in front of him.

Arrow refused to let go, still trying to tear the tail off.

"Heh, he's got quite the spirit." Jessika commented, smiling at the sight. "Where did you find him?"

Frowning, Ukiah rested his hand on his head, trying to quell the headache. "I…I don't know how. I was near the end of the trial, and…and I saw Arrow."

Jessika froze, turning towards him with a look that seemed to be locked on him.

"I saw him…I swear I did…" He whispered with confusion in his voice. "It was as if…he was guiding me out. At the end of the canyon, I saw this sand pile and ended up finding this guy…" Grabbing Arrow from off of Lasher's tail, he rested him in his lap and began to stroke the tiny spikes. The raging dragon instantly began to calm down, trying to bury himself in Ukiah's lap. "It was as if Arrow was allowed to come back to me. It was his way of telling me how to get him back."

Jessika just stared at him with a raised eyebrow, almost looking concerned.

"I can't…I can't believe it to be honest. It was as if the gods themselves were helping me."

"Did you…see anything else? Did you have any other visions?"

Frowning, Ukiah reluctantly nodded. "I don't think they were visions. I think they were hallucinations. But I did see something else. At the end of the canyon, it was forked. I'm sure it led out of the same way; but towards the right, I saw a…person. Or something. He was beckoning for me to go to the right."

Jessika continued to stare at him, hanging onto every word he was saying.

"But…Arrow went left. I thought I saw my friends for a second too. The ones that saved my life. I…I followed them. I went after Arrow."

"…No…" Jessika groaned, interrupting his story. "Ukiah…that was part of the trial! You were being tested to see if you would do what is needed to be done!"

Confused, Ukiah glared back at her. "What do you mean? I still passed through. I still succeeded! According to you, it was also the fastest time anyone's done it!"

"But your will wasn't aligned with our ancestors! You're still following your own ambitions!"

"I thought I made that pretty clear!" He roared, scaring Arrow. Watching him leap off his lap, he groaned in agony as the effects of the poison began to return. "I said I would bring back our tribe my way. I'm going to change how and why we did things…Urghh..."

Biting her lip, Jessika let out a silent curse. "Ukiah…you're making great progress in your training and trials. But given what I just learned, you'll never pass the initiation test. You'll never be able to lead the Crevites."

"All two of us?" He growled sarcastically, clenching his eyes shut in pain. "Jessika, I know how much our ancestors play a role in our lives; but how in all that's in Helheim, am I to lead a tribe, let alone an army, when I don't even have a small group of followers?"

"It's not our place to question how, we only know to trust that it'll happen. What we have to do ourselves, is ensure that we can do what is required when the moment arrives!"

"When what moment arrives?!" He gasped out, finally trying to stand up. Struggling to roll to his feet, he growled "That's what I don't get! I only saw what I'll eventually do! I have no idea why! I have no idea how! In fact, I've only felt confusion and anger since I began training to become chief."

"You told me you felt calm about your decision?" She fired back, watching him struggle to stand up straight.

"When I made the choice, yes! I did!" Closing his eyes in pain, he stumbled slightly as he got his feet under him. "But since I've been…training. Since I've been preparing for the initiation test, I've felt torn. I felt like I'm not doing what I'm supposed to do…"

Jessika stared at him with a furious expression. Shaking her head, she growled "We'll talk about this in the morning. Until then, rest yourself. The effects of the poison should pass through by tomorrow."

"…Fine…" He whispered, feeling light headed and dizzy. Trying to walk back to his family's home, he felt something walk next to him.

Lasher growled as he placed himself alongside Ukiah, making himself a guide for his rider.

"Thanks, friend…" He whispered, walking with his dragon. Unable to really focus, he then felt something dart between his legs. With his narrow vision, he caught a glimpse of Arrow dashing in between his feet, as if playing with him. Letting a soft smile grow, he continued to watch the tiny Sand Wraith bounce this way and that, avoiding his feet. "Thank you too, Arrow…"

* * *

Ukiah let out a long groan, finally waking up from what felt like an eternity. His stomach no longer hurt, or at least didn't feel like it was getting ripped out. His body still felt a little weak, but knew that the fever, or whatever was causing him to feel like he was on fire, had dissipated as well.

"Ugh, well that's a good sign at least." He huffed, slowly rolling out of his bed and sitting on the edge of it. Still feeling a little sick, he simply waited for his body to finish waking up. Looking around his parent's old room, he frowned as he cast his mind back to what he saw during his trial. He was still unsure if he was just hallucinating, or if he had actually seen his ancestors. Or tribe. He didn't know.

One thing he did know though, was that Arrow had guided him to find a Sand Wraith egg. Closing his eyes to relish in the fact that he was blessed with such fortune, he slowly stood up from his seat and walked into the main dining room of his carved out house. The stone slab walls were less and less comforting everyday he spent in them; even with his attempts to tidy the place up and make it feel like a home. Why? He felt a peace when he first arrived here…why was he not feeling it now? Especially as he progressed to become Chief of the Crevites. Then the thought of what Jessika told him yesterday. Did he really fail his trial? All because he chose to follow after Arrow?

His thoughts were interrupted as a soft growl sounded under him. Looking down, he smiled as he saw Arrow looking up at him. Sat on his haunches, his wide eyes stared at him with an excitement that almost radiated the same personality of the old Arrow that was taken from him. Reaching down, he let the baby climb on his arm and up to his shoulder, hanging on as he arrived.

"Better not get used to it." He whispered. "Don't know how long you'll be able to do that."

Lasher then growled, walking through the doorway of his humble home. Walking up to Ukiah, he then sniffed Arrow as if checking up on him.

"Have you been watching him?" Ukiah asked, reaching up and stroking the Triple Stryke's head. "You're probably better at it than I am. At least while I'm still under the effects of this poison."

Lasher growled, standing up as high as he could in the cramped space. At that, he went to lay down in a corner he designated for himself.

Sighing, Ukiah then grabbed his mom's sword and awkwardly slung it over his back, being tricky with Arrow on his shoulder and using one arm. Satisfied that it was secure, he naturally checked for his dagger he kept on his hip, knowing that it was a constant in his life and always made sure he had it on him.

Arrow, still full of energy, awkwardly climbed along Ukiah's back, hanging onto his other shoulder. Using the stub of what was left of his arm as a way to keep himself balanced, he growled happily and rubbed against his cheek.

Smiling at the friendly dragon, Ukiah then walked out, leaving Lasher behind. Seeing Jessika outside of her home, tending to a small fire and cooking something in a pot, he frowned as he resumed thinking of the trial. If he failed, what did that mean? He didn't feel like he failed; in fact, it was the most peace he had when he started to train himself. Then a thought hit him. Was his purpose even to become Chief of the Crevites? Or was it something...more? What if it was to become someone to protect those he cared about? With a resolved mind, and recovering body, he walked up to her with Arrow still clinging to his shoulder.

"Good morning, Ukiah. Feeling better?" She asked, not taking her eye off the contents in the pot.

"A lot better. I feel like I can function and think now."

"Hence why that trial weeds out any of those that aren't strong enough. As hard as you felt it was, you were able to not only power through the weakness and pain; you were able to keep your mind clear."

"I don't know about it being clear… but yeah; I was able to see something." He whispered, taking a seat on a large rock. "Speaking of my trial, I've been thinking about it."

"About the choice you made?"

"Kind of. More so how I felt when I made it." He answered. "You told me to trust my feelings when I first came here. Which is why I made the decision to stay."

"Of course." She agreed, finally looking up from the pot. Taking a seat across from him, she began to draw some designs in the dirt with her staff. "It's how our leaders made decisions. It's how we know we're in line with our ancestors will. It was how we decided as a tribe to stay and die, rather than flee. We felt it was the right thing to do." Looking up at him, she let a comforting smile grow on her face. "A skill that you're getting increasingly better at."

"Yet, since I started to embrace your- our methods, I've felt nothing but confliction inside. During every single exercise, my mind was at peace, but my heart was wracked with…confusion. Even yesterday, you told me I failed, but it was the first time I felt peace. I felt like I made the right decision."

Jessika stared at him, waiting for him to finish.

"It's as if…I don't know, but it's like my decision to stay wasn't so much about me becoming the leader of the Crevites, but to become someone that can save or help those that helped me…" He whispered, grabbing Arrow from off his shoulder. Letting him sit in his lap, he continued to say. "I think that was the meaning with what I saw last night. Why I saw Arrow and my friends. This path I'm taking…it's to become someone so I don't lose another friend like Arrow was to me."

Jessika bit her lip, obviously not liking what she was hearing. "What of your family? What of your tribe? Are you to ignore them? Will you not seek vengeance?"

"I thought I satisfied vengeance." He replied quickly, looking up at her with narrowed eyes. "I killed Strogg. What I failed to do, was protect my friends. Maybe that's why I'm so torn up about being here. It's not the training; it's the fact that I left them fighting their war with Viggo and his brother."

"No! You're purpose! The purpose that the tribe saw in you! That your parents saw in you, was to hunt down those that killed us!"

Taken back by the sudden outburst, he could only stare at her. "Why? What will it bring? That path has made me feel nothing but turmoil inside. Aside from that, who would I get vengeance from? Strogg's dead, and Zekir only hurt me personally. He had nothing to do with our tribe's destruction!"

Jessika bit her lip again, this time standing up. "I'll tell you who is required to die…this was supposed to be your initiation test. You're required to kill the father of those you call brothers."

Ukiah gasped, staring at her in shock and horror. "S-Stoick?"

"The one that assisted Strogg in our destruction. Him and his posterity."

"No! I won't do it!" He shouted, springing to his feet. Arrow tumbled off his lap, crashing in the dirt.

"You made your choice! Now follow through!"

"That was before I knew what you were trying to do to me! I never received that answer!"

"You saw your future! You saw fire and death! Your own brothers were there! Riding lightning and death! What do you think it's supposed to mean?!" She growled, slowly advancing on him.

"Only a hundred different things!" He shouted, backing up from her. "It could a future battle with the Hunters, it could be them helping me defend here! I don't know, and neither do you!" Drawing his dagger, he held it up with his signature stance; like a snake ready to strike.

"What else could it mean?" Jessika growled, stopping in her tracks. "Look around you, Ukiah. Look at your home! The blood of your parents was spilled here! There's nothing but death and sorrow-"

"Which we spread ourselves!" He cried out. "Think of how many tribes we destroyed! Think of how many families my parents tore apart! We're no better than those that destroyed us!"

"It's our way of life! We were the strongest!"

"We're gone! We were destroyed!" He argued. "You may be a seer meant to guide me, but I've learned a few things myself! The hardest lesson I ever learned, is that no matter how strong, how powerful you might be; there is always someone stronger! There will always be someone stronger! No one stays at the top for long!" Lowering his dagger slightly, he whispered "Jessika…our people are destroyed. Even if I became chief, I'll never be able to bring back what they were. Vengeance won't bring them back…no matter how many people I killed."

"Your parents loved you! Are you going to trample on them and their wishes?!"

"My parents were murderers. Like our tribe was! I told you I wasn't going to let that happen again when I chose to stay here! I'm doing it my way!"

"Aggghh!" She screamed, looking up at the sky in angst and fury. "Why won't you accept your fate?!"

Ukiah's eyes narrowed, recalling the couple times Strogg told him to accept his fate. A cold, dark feeling began to rush over him, making him silently rejoice in it. He wouldn't have this feeling if he was making the wrong choice. "Because it isn't my fate. My fate, isn't bringing back a murderous tribe. I refuse to believe that. I'll end my own life before I fulfill that role…"

"I know your fate!" Jessika roared, not letting go of the anger that seemed to boil out of nowhere. "You'll lead an army to victory! You'll be made ruler over a people! You saw it yourself!"

"If so…it won't be this people…" He whispered coldly.

At that, Lasher had run out of the carved out room, wondering what was going on. Seeing Ukiah and Jessika standoff with each other, he roared as he ran to his rider. Spreading his three tails, he stood by, ready to defend him.

"Brat! You only had to accept your fate! That was all you had to do!" Jessika roared, backing up slightly from Lasher.

"That's the thing, Jessika…" He whispered, sheathing the dagger. Grabbing his crossbow off Lasher's saddle, he double checked to see if it was loaded. "What you wanted to turn me into, is not my fate. It's the fate you were creating for myself. And if I am wrong, then I'll die happier knowing that I wasn't tool. Used by you or my ancestors. I decided my own fate."

Jessika instantly calmed down, seeing the resolution in his eyes. Gripping her staff with a death grip, she then growled "Then I'll have to be a little more creative in turning you into the killer this tribe needs…" Almost instantly, she snatched a pouch from her belt and hurled it at Lasher.

The pouch then smashed into the Triple Stryke's face, letting a white powder explode all over him.

Ukiah leaped backwards, getting away from the powder still lingering in the air. "Lasher!" He cried out, seeing his dragon stumble around.

Groaning, Lasher then collapsed, falling forward.

"No!" He shouted, watching Jessika leap at him with her staff raised. "What did you do?!"

"He's alive, but only because I need you to ride on him after I'm through with you!" She yelled, striking at him. "I'll make you end Stoick! Him and his sons!"

"You know I'll never do that!" He roared, swinging his crossbow and deflecting the strike.

"I don't need your mind, just your body." She hissed, glaring at him with a crazed and hated expression. "I'm the tribe's last seer, remember? I know ways to make you forget even your most treasured memory!"

Realizing what was at stake, Ukiah let loose his cold fury. "I'm sorry…" He whispered, planting his foot down and launching himself into her. Lowering his shoulder, he caught her in the side and spun her around with the force of the hit.

"Agh!" She cried out, falling over onto her side.

Ukiah used his inertia to roll on the ground, springing himself onto his feet. "Give it up, Jessika! You can't beat me!"

"Urgh!" She grunted, rolling over and looking at him. "I don't need to beat you…I just need you to hold still for a little bit."

Ukiah frowned at the threat, watching her stumble to her feet. "I don't want to kill you Jessika…"

Not saying anything, she charged him with her staff. Swinging it low, she tried to bash his ribs.

Though he still felt weaker from the poison, he was strong enough to react and function as if he were healthy. Swinging the crossbow down, he was easily able to block the strike. Not stopping, he then swung it the other way, using the metal arm as a hook to catch her by the throat with it. Using his weight to keep the inertia, he spun around and flung her away, nearly crashing her into the fire.

"Oooph!" She cried out, rolling into a large rock. Rubbing her head, she looked up and glared at him with black, colorless eyes. Her face visibly darkened, showing that she had indeed the Gift of the Crevites too. Springing to her feet, she twirled her staff and slowly advanced towards him. "You could have become so much more! You had so much potential!"

"Not my potential. I was a puppet; a tool!" He barked as he backed away from the staff's spinning ends. "If that's what my future was going to be, then I'd rather die!"

"Something I might help you with!" She roared, suddenly thrusting the staff right at his chest.

"Gah!" He shouted, feeling as if it was a ballista that had hit him. Crashing on the ground, he back somersaulted with his momentum, forcing him to let go of his crossbow in the process. Seeing her advance on him with her staff spinning over her head, he drew his dagger and hurled it right at her.

Ping!

She swung her staff low, keeping it spinning and hitting the dagger out of the air. "Forget it, Ukiah! I might not have been raised as a warrior, but you haven't lived a life of one either! I will succeed in turning you!"

Letting the cold, dark feeling grow inside him, he slowly reached for his sword. Drawing it, he glared at her with black eyes himself. "You'll only succeed in delaying your undoing. Even if you turn me against those I call family, they'll stop me before I could hurt them…"

"Hah! Not after I'm through with you!" She hissed, stopping the spinning and getting into a defensive stance. "You will be the most feared Crevite that ever lived!"

"No…you don't get it. The Berkians are stronger than we ever were." He whispered. "They actually value life. And have won dozens of battles, all to protect a life. It's a strength; something that empowers them."

"It's an illusion! Our power is real! You can feel it course through your veins, can't you? Only those that can dictate who lives are the ones that deserve to live and rule!"

"Then I'll show you their strength!" He roared, leaping onto a large boulder. Using the height as a boost, he lunged straight at her, with his sword raised over his head.

Jessika raised her staff up, ready to block the strike and counter him with her own attack.

Fueled with a determination to prove her wrong, and letting his cold anger add to his fury, he brought the sword down with all his strength. Then he felt it. He felt his sword shatter the staff.

"No!" She shouted, feeling it get sliced in half. Stumbling back, she gaped at the two pieces in her hands.

Ukiah never stopped. Landing, he then surged forwards, swinging the blade in an upwards slash.

Forced to back off, she lunged backwards, swinging one end of her broken staff to deflect the strike.

"Yaagghh!" He roared, keeping the frenzy of slashes up. Up and down, left and right, he swung his sword with a fierceness of a small hurricane. Pushing Jessika back, he let out a cry of anger as he lifted his foot and planted it right in her chest.

"Ragh!" She cried out, falling backwards. In a last ditch attempt to stop the onslaught, she hurled one of her staff pieces at him as she fell.

Seeing it coming, he used his blade to knock it away from him, but had to stop in his tracks.

Gasping for breath, Jessika slowly rolled to her feet, gaping at Ukiah in shock. She swore she saw a dragon behind him. Large, brown, and covered in spikes. Blinking, she was shocked to see the dragon was gone, leaving only Ukiah there.

Sheathing his sword, he knelt down and picked up his crossbow. "Don't make me kill you." He whispered coldly, making her tremble in shock. He sounded just like his dad! Toeken!

"If my entire purpose in life is to bring back our tribe, then I guess I'll live the rest of my life as a disappointment." He growled, keeping the crossbow in a position to be fired.

Shaking her head angrily, she snatched another pouch from her belt, holding it in a position to throw it. "Fool…you think I'm going to let my life's dreams go that easily?"

Ukiah braced himself, knowing that he had to dodge the pouch she'd throw at him. Then to his horror, watched Arrow leap at her from behind a rock he was hiding behind.

"Gah! Pest!" She roared, feeling him latch onto her arm and forcing her to drop the pouch. Swinging her arm, she bashed him against a nearby rock, forcing to let go of her. Raising her foot over the stunned Sand Wraith, she growled "This is for ruining Ukiah for me!"

"No!" He shouted, aiming the crossbow with one arm. Time slowed as the cold feeling inside him seemed to take over, letting him aim the crossbow steadily with his one arm. Pulling the trigger, he sent the bolt flying, right into leg as it was coming down.

"Agghh!" She screamed, feeling the bolt spin her around. Crashing on the rocky ground, she let go of her broken staff and gripped her leg where the bolt had entered.

"You won't hurt him again…" Ukiah growled, dropping his crossbow and drawing the sword a second time. Standing over her, he put the tip of the sword on her chest, keeping her from moving. "What you did was almost unforgivable…"

"Damn you! Damn you and your so called friends!" She screamed almost with hysteria. "You'll learn that they never cared about you! Not once! Nor will they ever! It's a weakness that would make our tribe banish you if they were still here!"

"That's oddly comforting." He whispered coldly, seeing Arrow scramble behind him, obviously scared from being hit so hard. "But you forget that I'm being guided by my ancestors right now. I know I'm doing the right thing. Which leads me to reason that you were lying about something. I never felt comforted when I was under your instruction. I never felt the peace that I get when I know my hand is being guided. So where did your lies begin? Where I was to be chief? Or when I was to take vengeance on Stoick?"

"When I was instructed to leave you!" She barked, her eyes becoming bloodshot. "You were never to be chief! You were never supposed to come back! I was supposed to take you to live a normal life!"

Ukiah's gut felt like it was wrenched.

"That was your parents wish! They didn't want revenge on Strogg! I did! That's why I left you! I never thought I'd see you again! But when I did, I knew I could turn you into what I wanted you to become!"

"…you…used me?! Used my parents against me?!" He growled his voice growing cold and his feelings getting numb. "All this time…I've been living a curse…made up by you?! You didn't think once of how I was haunted by our…history?! All that you told me…was a lie?!"

"No, not everything…" She grunted in pain, unable to move away from the sword tip.

"Does it matter?!" He roared, pushing the tip into her chest. "Don't you get it?! I'll never be able to know for certain with everything we talked about! My tribe, my home, my parents even! I don't know what's true!"

"Then you'll suffer that the rest of your life!" She hissed with an unforgiving tone. "End me! Do it!"

Ukiah's veins bulged in his neck, fighting everything to actually push the blade through her. Then the thought hit him. "No…" He whispered, slowly backing the blade tip off of her. "You'll live…knowing you couldn't exact revenge. The revenge you wanted at least."

Jessika's eyes glared at him with a fire in them; creating a hate that even he felt.

"When you wake up…you'll know that there's nothing left to live for…and you'll try to find comfort, but you won't find it." He continued to whisper.

"Why?!"

"In the words of the one that took my arm…there are worse things than death." He quoted.

Before she could argue anything else, Ukiah dropped his knee into her chest, making her gasp out for air. In one smooth motion, he swung the handle of his sword into her head, sending her into a dark world.

Standing up, he stared down at her with a hate that he hadn't felt in a long time. She ruined any chances he had to understand his heritage. But…she also provided a way for him to escape it too. His fate was never to bring back the Crevites, and so there was hope that he'd still be in charge of his own fate. Then the thought about the vision he had of himself leading an army. What was that supposed be about?

Shaking his head, he stared at Jessika's unconscious body. "Goodbye, Jessika. I hope you're tormented with the pain of what could have been, as you have done to me. Living in uncertainty." At that, he kneeled down and let Arrow climb on him. Standing up straight, he went to wake up Lasher, wanting to leave his home as soon as possible; leaving behind his nightmare that haunted him his entire life. He finally did it. He was leaving his heritage behind.

* * *

 _ **Well, there you go! Chapter two! Hope you're liking it so far! Again, I'm trying to hammer through this without making seem like a rush job, so warn me if it sounds like it is!**_


	3. Chapter 3: The Explanation and Purpose

**Chapter Three: The Explanation and Purpose**

Ukiah stared at the setting sun, feeling the cool ocean spray splash him on the face. Ignoring the chill, he kept his eyes forward. Since he left, he couldn't help but notice the peace he had. Shaking his head, he recalled the weeks, even months he spent training to become something that was supposed to be his destiny; ending up being a selfish lie to make him do the dirty work for Jessika.

Honestly, for the first time in his life, he had no idea what to do; or what to pursue. Before, it was to protect Hiccup and Astrid; along with all of Berk. Then it was to hunt down and kill Strogg. After which he tried to find his heritage to kill the part that was haunting him; all of which he succeeded in doing. At least, to some degree.

"Guess we better go see how the others are doing…" He whispered to Lasher, looking down at the Triple Stryke. Resting his hand along his neck, he asked "How are you doing, friend? Are you holding up okay?"

Lasher growled, looking back at him with resolution and determination. After what took an hour to wake him up, Lasher was more than ready to go. He almost had an expression of 'I told you so' when they were finally flying away. Making Ukiah learn to depend more on him and his judgement calls. Fortunately, whatever Jessika had used to knock him out with wasn't long lasting like the poison Ukiah drank, letting them literally leave minutes after getting packed up.

"Good to hear…how about you, Arrow?"

Arrow growled happily, digging his claws into the front of the saddle to keep himself secure. Letting his tongue hang out, he simply let it flap in the wind as they continued to fly along.

"Give it a couple of weeks, and you'll be flying yourself…" He whispered, looking ahead. Though he didn't realize it at the time, the fact that he had another Sand Wraith caused another problem to arise in his mind. Zekir. What was he going to do about him? He couldn't let Arrow's killer simply live with no repercussions for his actions.

Shuddering, he pulled his black cloak around him tighter to fight the chill of the ocean spray. What should he do? Return to Berk? Help Hiccup and the others? Or should he start his personal war with Zekir? Then the words echoed in his mind; the words Astrid told him right when he lost his arm and Arrow:

 _"Ukiah…know that we care about you. And are willing to help you in whatever way we can. Even if it means me going with you to hunt down Zekir…"_

The words seemed to chip away at the shroud over his mind. He knew Astrid would be willing to help him, so it wasn't that far of a shot to see if Hiccup and Matt wouldn't either. Even Heather! That was it. He was going back to Berk.

The decision seemed to make him breathe in relief. "I hope you guys are okay…" He whispered to himself. For all he knew, they could have been forced off Dragon's Edge; due to Viggo's efforts in their war. Not to mention Ryker's ruthlessness in regards to him dealing with the Riders.

He visibly shuddered as he thought of the possibility that Viggo won the fight they were having; and if anyone was unlucky enough to have been captured during his conquest. Or if Ryker got his hands on anyone. He recalled when Heather was taken by Darien, and the fact that the only reason why she survived was because of Viggo's ego and plans to use her against her friends. Ironically, she was lucky to part of such a scheme, being the only reason why they kept her alive.

Lasher suddenly growled, banking to the right and looking over at something.

Slightly caught off guard, Ukiah lowered himself on his saddle. "What's going on? See something?"

Lasher pulled up, stopping to a hover. Almost losing Arrow as a passenger, the Triple Stryke motioned towards something ahead of them.

Peering ahead, Ukiah gasped as he saw what Lasher saw. A single ship! More importantly, it was marked with the Thariin symbol on its single sail. It was almost an answer to an unasked prayer. At least he'll be able to learn what Zekir is up to after he was through with the ship's crew.

Preparing his crossbow, he then growled "What say you, friend? Are you ready to take a break from flying? Give your tails a little bit of a workout?"

Lasher huffed a breath of hot air, letting flames shoot out to show that he was ready. His tails unraveled from the braid he usually kept them in when traveling.

Ukiah nodded as he rested his crossbow on his lap, much to Arrow's angst. "Then let's go. Perhaps we can stay the night on the ship to rest. At least, until after we learn what we can and send everyone to Helheim."

* * *

"Just doing the regular rounds, princess. Comfortable?" One of the guards mocked, unlocking the cell's door. "Ready for bed time?"

Lydia glared at him as he walked in. Shifting her arms in agitation, she could only watch as the guard checked the iron cuffs behind her back, locking her wrists together. The only time she was out of them was when they occasionally let her out to stretch her legs, or when she was supposed to eat, being only two times a day.

"Oh, don't be like that…we'll be arriving on an island within the morning! You'll be able to stretch your legs out if you so please!"

"Without the cuffs on my wrists? Or chains in general?" She growled, already knowing the answer.

Laughing, the guard kneeled down and grabbed the chain that connected her shackles on her ankles; keeping her anchored to the wall of the ship, and subsequently the bench that was her bed as well. Pulling on it, he forced her legs to be sucked in together, as if they were bound. "I'm afraid not, your highness. We're under orders to make sure you can't escape. Can't take that many risks with you."

"So you'll let me walk around? That makes sense." She fired back, hating being treated like royalty when it was abundantly clear she wasn't going to be receiving any such treatment. Kicking her feet, she tried to separate them, only to fruitlessly kick in the air. Watching him wrap the slack in the chain around her legs, she growled "You know this is completely overkill. Even if my legs were freed, I couldn't get out of this cell."

"My point exactly. Where would you go when we let you walk around the island? You can't break those irons off your wrists." He teased, stepping back from her. Patting the keys on his belt, he continued to jest with her. "We'd let you try to swim if you wanted too! Armor and all!"

The angry blonde princess growled as she looked down at her steel engraved armor. What was her greatest gift was now the only thing she had to remind her of her home. "Might try anyways…even drowning would be better than staying in your company, you fine gentlemen." She snapped sarcastically.

"Oi! Balbus!" The second guard shouted, running down the stairs towards the cell. "Might wanna come up on the deck. We're seeing something…"

"Seeing what?" Balbus replied, walking out of Lydia's cell and locking the door shut.

"A dragon. It's been circling around us for a bit now."

"And? What about it? We've seen hundreds of dragons since we left Thariin."

"It has a Rider on it…"

"Wait, a dragon with a Rider?" Lydia called out, suddenly sounding panicked.

"Not to worry, princess. It's only one." Balbus growled, his joking and teasing demeanor changing. "One Rider isn't enough to sink a ship or kill a crew."

"Hey! Let me out of these irons! Just in case!" She called out, fruitlessly fighting the shackles binding her wrists behind her.

"Shut up, and try to get some sleep…" Balbus growled running up the stairs with the other guard. "This Rider is good as dead!"

Lydia looked around her cell frantically. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. If this was one of the dragon riders that Zekir was so worried about, then what chance did a single ship have against one of them?

"Urgh! Come on!" She grunted in a panicked frustration. Kicking her legs, she tried to shake off the chain that was tightly wound around her legs.

"He's coming in! Get ready!" A voice shouted above her.

Looking at the ceiling, she could only imagine what was going on.

"Fir-AGH!"

Lydia screamed as an explosion sounded just above her. Feeling the ship rock due to the force of the hit, she quickly glanced around her cell and room, checking to see if water was spilling in.

"Draw a bead on it! Kill it!" Balbus' voice cried out.

"Wait…where's its Rider?" A crewman's voice shouted.

Fighting the chains, she listened to the fight above. She couldn't help but wish she had her battle axe. Anything really. Above all, she wished her hands and ankles were at least freed.

"Look out-Agh!" A voice screamed, being cut off short by something.

Lydia could only stare at the stairs in fear, wondering what was going on above.

"Captain!" A panicked voice cried.

"The dragon's coming around again!"

"Damn the dragon! Watch out for the-gak!"

Lydia gasped, seeing a sailor tumble down the stairs. As he rolled to a stop, she saw a bolt sticking out of his throat. Looking up the stairway as best as she could, she could hear metal on metal as a fight grew louder and louder. A deathly roar sounded, followed by some whipping sounds. She instantly began to sweat, realizing that the crew that was supposed to protect her, was losing the fight!

Again, something sounded like it was tumbling down the stairs. This time it was Balbus! Rolling to a stop, he slowly got onto his hands and knees. His leg was bleeding profusely, as if it was sliced open. "Urgh…can't let them free you…" He growled, pulling himself up with the wall. Limping towards a large cupboard, he pulled out a burlap bag and a cloth.

"No! Don't you dare!" She shouted, seeing him limp towards her door.

"What does it matter? You'll die anyways!" He growled, walking up to her. Not even trying to mess with her, he simply batted her head against the wall behind her.

"Agh!" She cried out, stunned by the hit. Before she could do anything else, she felt the cloth get stuffed in her mouth. As she tried to spit it out, her world went dark as the burlap bag was draped over her head, keeping the cloth in her mouth.

"Rmphh!" She tried to shout, shaking her head violently to throw off the bag.

Again! He pushed her head into the wall, stunning her a second time. Groaning, she simply waited there, trying to recover from the hit. At that, she felt a metal shackle get slipped around her neck, clicking as it was locked shut. With the collar keeping the hood over her head, and the fact that it was so short that it pulled her against the wall, all she could do was shift her arms and kick her legs. "Lmm mhh ghh!" She tried to shout. She was terrified that whatever attacked their ship would show no mercy to her, regardless of her position.

"Well, well, well…" Balbus growled, making her freeze in place.

She could hear something walking down the stairs, followed by another set of footsteps; though sounding a lot heavier.

"I can see why Zekir fears you Riders…only one of you took out an entire ship and its crew!"

"…I'm a little unique from the others…" A voice replied back. It sounded cold and unfriendly.

Lydia simply sat there, unable to do anything. Scared that her trying to fight her bonds would anger their attacker, she listened to the conversation between the two.

"Who's that you have?" The voice asked, sounding curious.

"No one. She's none of your concern!" Balbus replied angrily.

"She?" The stranger repeated, sounding a little shocked. "And it is my concern. Zekir made it my concern the moment he took my arm from me."

"Wait? Arm?" Lydia asked herself in her mind. "Was he really missing an arm? And he took out the entire crew?!"

"Chief Zekir will do more than take an arm if you don't take your dragon and leave right now!" Balbus roared angrily.

"He already took more than my arm when I met him…" The stranger whispered, sounding remorseful. "Where is he? And maybe I'll let you live."

"Again, that's none of your concern!"

Lydia saw a chance to show she was more helpful alive than dead, to which she shouted into her gag "Hhpph wwhhmm hm Brrggpphh!"

"Shut up!" Balbus roared, pushing her head against the wall a third time.

"Rrrggmmphh!" She growled angrily, getting tired of being treated like that.

"Drop the mace and let her go." The stranger commanded, his tone sounding more serious.

"No. Leave this ship, and I won't cave her head in…"

Lydia sat there, feeling something heavy rest on her head. The mace Balbus was apparently holding. Closing her eyes in angst, she could only listen to the silence, expecting to a sharp blow to the head and feel her life slip away. However, she heard something that made her jump.

Kcthunk!

"Agh!" Balbus gasped.

Lydia felt the weight on her head slowly slide off, and eventually heard it crash on the deck. Confused at what was going on, she then heard Balbus collapse on the floor, not moving. She could only picture in her head what had happened, wishing she wasn't blindfolded.

"Lasher, get back on deck and stay on guard." The stranger ordered.

A loud growl sounded off in acknowledgement, making her sweat in a panic. That had to be the dragon!

"Easy…I'm not going to hurt you…" The stranger said with a calming voice, sounding closer to her with every word.

"Mmmhh…" She grunted, trying to shake the bag off her head.

Sensing someone nearby, she then felt something get inserted into the collar around her neck. Hearing a satisfying click, the collar simply fell off. Just as instantly as it came off, she felt the hood get pulled off. Blinking her eyes to adjust to the light, she looked up at the stranger.

The tanned individual had long black hair, draping over his shoulders. He wore the simplest looking chainmail armor, being stained black and lined with some kind of fur underneath. His face looked rugged and hardened with weather and experiences. On top of that, he was stood over a fallen Balbus, with a crossbow bolt sticking out of his heart. But what shocked her the most was that he couldn't be older than her brother, Auger.

"Here, let me pull this out…" He grunted, taking the cloth out of her mouth.

"Bleh! Btah!" She spat, relieved to have it out. "Thank you…"

The stranger only nodded, kneeling down and focusing on unraveling the chain around her legs. "Who are you? And why are you chained up like this?"

Relaxing at the fact that he was helping her, she simply replied "I'm Lydia. Princess Lydia I guess. I was being held hostage, as you can see."

"Why?" He quizzed, finally being able to get to the shackles on her legs. Using the key he swiped from Balbus, he quickly undid them.

"Because their chief wanted to force my father to go to fight for him." She growled, standing up. Relishing in being able to stretch, she smiled at her rescuer. "Thank you! Can't tell you how long I was stuck on that stupid bench."

Nodding, the stranger gestured her to turn around. Seeing her do so, he then unlocked the bindings on her wrists. "What chief forced your dad to fight for him?"

"Zekir the Black Heart…" She growled, whirling around and re-strapping her gauntlets, as she never had the opportunity to do so since being stuck on the ship. "He had me captured me and then forced my dad to fight!"

"Zekir!" The stranger gasped. "What's he doing? Where's he attacking?!"

Shocked at the sudden urgency, she quickly replied "A place called Berk. He's after someone named Hiccup and Matt Haddock! They're supposedly Dragon Riders, and they threaten his trade route with some Dragon Hunters."

"No!" He shouted, looking frantic at the news. "I should have guessed he would have gone after them…do you know why?"

"Why? Do you know them?" She asked, uneasy with the sudden intensity. "Are you a Dragon Rider too? Are you part of their group?"

"They're my adoptive brothers. They're family to me!" He argued, reaching up and grabbing her arm. "Tell me why he's attacking Berk! And when!"

Then she saw it! Or at least noticed it. He really did have one arm! "Yo-your arm! W-w-what happened?!" She gasped, staring at his stub in shock.

His face darkening, he growled "Zekir did this to me…and I'm not going to let him hurt anyone else. Especially those I call family. Now tell me what you know!"

"Only if you don't hurt me!" She cried, terrified at his changing demeanor.

Realizing that he was scaring her, he took a step back and took a deep breath. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. I may be a killer, but I'm not heartless. I won't do anything to harm you. But I need to know what you know about Zekir. I can't let him…I can't let him take another close friend from me."

"Another?"

The stranger sighed, looking down from her gaze. "Yes, another. Can you please tell me what you know?"

Concerned with how he was affected by Zekir, she simply nodded in understanding. "Of course. You did free me after all. This is what I know. He and this girl named Darien want to secure a trade route with some Dragon Hunters. They said that Dragon Riders are a threat to it and will attack Thariin if needed." Then, a little hesitantly, added "Both him and Darien mentioned two Riders specifically…Hiccup and Matt Haddock. Are they really your family?"

"Not by blood, but we're as close as you can get."

Understanding the connection, Lydia then let a wide smile grow on her face. Doing a modest bow, she then said. "That's all I really know. And as I said before, I'm Princess Lydia. Now, to whom do I address to show appreciation and my gratitude for helping me?"

The stranger then knelt down and picked up a crossbow. Shouldering it, he then gruffly said. "Ukiah. Ukiah…Legna."

Lydia noticed the hesitancy of him telling his last name. Curious, she then asked "Ukiah Legna? Interesting. How are you related to Hiccup and Matt Haddock? How about the other Dragon Riders?"

Sighing, Ukiah simply gestured for her to follow. "Hiccup saved me about six years back. I then lived with him and Berk since…given a couple years being on my own. Learned to ride dragons with them."

Before she could follow up with another question, she barely noticed a small blur dart through the cell door and leap onto Ukiah. Gaping, she stared as a small brown dragon began to climb up Ukiah's chainmail, stopping on his shoulder. "Is…that a dragon?"

"Yeah. His name is Arrow…just found him a couple days ago." Ukiah replied, seeming unconcerned with it.

"This…this can't be the one that you rode…is it?!" She asked, seeing the dragon eye her curiously.

"No. The one I rode is on top." He replied, turning to walk out of the cell. "His name is Lasher."

"Oh…I see…" She whispered, unsure of what to expect. She heard the dragon, but never saw it. She could only imagine what it looked like. It couldn't be a cuddly looking one, not if it earned the name Lasher.

"Do you have anything you need to pack? I'm going to see what kind of supplies I can take, then we'll have to make up some time to get to Berk." Ukiah began to say, stopping at some storage barrels and pulling off the lid of one.

"Wait….you're taking me with you?"

"Unless you want to stay on the ship and sail it back to wherever you came from." He huffed, digging through the barrels with his one arm. "Your choice."

"I…uh…" She stammered, unsure of what to think. She was hoping that he'd help her return home, though it was quite apparent that was nothing of his intentions.

"Think quickly, I'm leaving." He growled, awkwardly fumbling with random fruit into a travel bag; being hard with one arm. Shoveling apples, berries, basically anything that didn't require time to prepare or cook, he simply loaded anything he could.

Realizing she didn't have a choice, she let out a long sigh. "Guess I'm going with you. I never learned how to sail; and even then, I don't think I could manage a ship this size on my own."

"Then pack up your stuff. We're leaving." He replied sharply, walking up the stairs.

"I don't have anything other than what I'm wearing. I was a prisoner, remember?" She huffed sarcastically, walking alongside him.

"Fair enough. Lasher! Get ready! We're leaving.

Lydia gaped as she finally saw Lasher. The dragon was standing on its hind legs, with three tails arched over its back! It had pincers for its front legs, or rather arms! It was indeed a unique dragon!

Growling, Lasher walked up to Lydia, sniffing her and making sure she wasn't a threat.

"Uh…nice…Lasher." She whispered weakly, realizing that she could be moments away from being killed.

"He won't hurt you. He's just making sure you're not going to turn on me." Ukiah answered, clipping his crossbow to his saddle. Making sure it was secure, he then handed her the bag with the supplies in it. "Since you're taking the spot where I'd strap this down, you have to hold onto it."

Seeing Lasher back off from her, she slowly took the bag. Slinging it around, she then let a nervous smile grow on her face. "If that's the price for getting out of here, you got a deal."

Nodding, he then leaped onto the saddle, letting Arrow sit in front of him. Extending his single arm to her, he then pulled her up and sat her behind him.

"Uh…thank you…" She replied, still nervous about the whole thing. "So…how hard is it to ride on dragons?"

For the first time since they met, Ukiah let a smile grow on his face. Turning to her, he then said "Don't worry, after the first hour of flying, the feeling gets to be natural."

"Does it-whoa!"

Lasher then launched off the deck of the ship, flying towards the moon. Caught off guard with the launch, Lydia scrambled to grab anything to secure herself. By chance, she had wrapped her arms around Ukiah and began to squeeze him with a panicked strength.

"Ugh, mind loosening up?" He huffed, shifting to get comfortable in the saddle.

"Uh…sure…sorry…" She quickly replied, blushing as she realized what she did. Letting go of him, she quickly looked around. Gliding silently over the ocean, the feeling was incredible. She never imagined herself flying, as that was literally the only thing a dream could offer. "It's…incredible! This is the most amazing thing I've ever experienced! I rarely even dreamed of this being a possibility."

"It's an amazing feeling that I grew to love." Ukiah admitted, not taking his eyes off what lay ahead. "So, Lydia…you don't mind if I don't call you princess, do you?"

"No. In fact, I prefer you didn't." She quickly replied, gazing up at the unlimited stars shining down on them.

Nodding, he then asked "How long ago did Zekir leave to invade Berk? I need to know what kind of time table I'm on."

Shaking her head, she simply looked at him. "The ship I was on left before he did. I was about…maybe a week on board. I don't know. I never saw the day or night in my cell. My guards would blindfold me randomly, throwing off any sense of time I had. Occasionally I would see glimpses of daylight through the floorboards over me, but that was about it."

Nodding, he then said "That gives Berk at least two weeks to prepare. Maybe three. It's a good two or three day ride on a dragon, but we'll make quick pace if we eat on the go and don't stop unless we need too."

"Well, do what you need to. I'm literally here for the ride." She replied with a smile. "And…thank you. Again."

Shrugging, Ukiah simply looked ahead, saying "It's you who I should thank. We're going to be able to warn the island that took me in, and help those that helped me."

Nodding in understanding, Lydia then suggested "How about…we get to know each other little bit. Maybe you can tell me how you learned how to ride dragons."

"Maybe…some of it…is still a little hard for me to talk about…" He whispered, slightly looking down. "But…ask away. I'll try if I'm able to…"

* * *

Matt, Heather, Hiccup and Astrid stared at Ukiah with gaping mouths and wondrous expressions. Even Lydia was staring at him, unaware of what he went through before he found her.

"And that's what happened…" He whispered, watching the fire slowly eat away at the logs. It was well into the night since Ukiah began to recount his tale, and sleep was the last thing on their minds. Well, except for the twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs, who were all out cold. "After learning Jessika lied to me, I don't even know what's true about myself any more. I can't ignore what I saw in my dream…but…I know it's not me invading Berk…I hope it isn't at least."

"Maybe it's you defending Berk." Heather suggested.

"No. I was clearly invading. And I was on stone walls. Not wooden barricades that we're setting up."

"Either way, I'm sorry you went through that alone." Hiccup whispered, shaking his head at his experience.

"It is what it is. There is nothing I can do but move forward." He whispered, looking down at where Arrow had fallen asleep on his lap. "I really don't know if my destiny is to bring back the Crevites. But I do know that if I do, it's not going to be with Jessika, or her way of doing it."

"But what about what you saw in your…trial?" Matt asked. "It sounds like you deliberately chose to follow your own…uh, heart."

"I think I was just hallucinating. I've never actually seen an embodiment of a person…or dragon." He answered. "The couple 'visions' I've had were when I was asleep, or otherwise meditating. Not while fighting or trekking through a slot canyon. It had to have been the poison I drank. Arrow was still on my mind, and that's why I think I saw him. Given, I won't deny the fact that it was probably him that helped me find this little guy…"

Arrow then yawned, stretching as he tried to bury himself deeper in Ukiah's lap.

Letting a faint smile grow on his face, Ukiah silently stroked the little Sand Wraith's head. "The words I was hearing, the feelings I was getting from them…they were all I feared. I feared of being lonely…a killer…friendless…and a failure. A failure to protect those I care about."

"You're not though!" Astrid barked, making everyone turn to her in shock. "I'm getting sick of this, Ukiah. You need to stop whining and complaining about yourself. You've gone through a lot, that isn't being argued. But as far as we're concerned, you're doing far more than what you're giving yourself credit for! Heather is alive because of you! Matt is still breathing because you saved him from the ocean! I'm not a trophy to Strogg because of you too!" Gesturing to Hiccup, she growled "You saved Hiccup when Strogg first came here!"

Ukiah stared at her, listening intently to her.

"Wake up! See what we see! You're not a failure, you're not alone, you have friends, and you are not a murderer!"

"Having only met you for a couple of days…" Lydia spoke up, shifting away from where Snotlout had planted himself, though had fallen asleep. "I never felt endangered being around you. Nor have I ever thought that you were a killer. At least, one without feeling."

Ukiah simply sat there, thinking of what they were saying.

"And from what you saw in your dream, or vision...let's think about it when we get to that bridge." Hiccup added. "You're here now. With us. Not thinking about reviving your tribe, or what Jessika had intended for you to do."

"We're going to receive Zekir and his men, and send them back running. At least those we don't end…" Matt growled, feeling an old anger return. "Especially that witch Darien…"

Lydia then spoke up again, this time about something that was bugging her since she was freed by Ukiah. "But what about my father and his men? They wouldn't be part of Zekir's invasion if they knew I was safe."

"We'll think of something." Hiccup assured, flashing a comforting smile to her. "My dad knows that Bruvos isn't really the threat."

Lydia nodded, still not comforted that they didn't really have a way to warn him or Auger.

"Either way, I'm just glad you're back, Ukiah…" Heather replied with a smile. "We were worried about you when you never returned."

"I'm sorry…I should have just left and came back here. Especially since you were all fighting Viggo and the Dragon Hunters…I left you with that mess."

"It worked out. You were also mourning Arrow. It was something that you needed to figure out on your own." Matt commented. "When I learned you left to Crev, I was wanting to leave to find you, but I also knew that it was something that you wanted to do alone…looking back on it now, I wish I went ahead with my gut and tried to find you."

"It was probably best you didn't. I don't know what Jessika would have done to you if you came." He whispered. "She wanted me to kill you, Hiccup, and Stoick. Or she would have done it herself the moment I refused too."

"Regardless, everything worked out. We're all ready for Zekir, Viggo and the Hunters are no more, and we're all back together." Hiccup called out, shifting closer to Astrid.

"What happened between you and Viggo?" Ukiah asked, leaning back against Lasher, who was fast asleep.

"How about we tell you tomorrow." Hiccup yawned, stretching as he leaned against Toothless. "It's just as long of a story, and we're all tired."

Ukiah nodded in agreement, looking up at the stars above. "Deal…it'll be good to get some rest at least."

"Lydia, why don't you sleep with Stormfly?" Astrid suggested, smiling at their new friend.

"Uh…a-are you sure?" She stammered, looking over at the slumbering Nadder.

"Definitely. She'll love it!" Astrid laughed, getting closer to Hiccup. "Just walk up to her slowly and stroke her tail. She'll take care of the rest."

Reluctantly, Lydia did as she was told. Taking the smallest steps in the world, she slowly reached out her hand, and stroked the sleeping dragon's tail.

Waking up to the gentle petting, Stormfly turned to see Lydia staring at her with fear on her paling face. Squawking happily, she opened up her wing, put it over her, and pulled her close; pinning her in-between her body and wing.

"Agh!" She cried out, shocked at the sudden embrace.

"Good girl! Keep her warm!" Astrid laughed, seeing Stormfly snuggle with her new friend.

"Uh…thanks…girl." Lydia's muffled voice sounded from under Stormfly's wing.

Smiling, Matt and Heather leaned against Wasatch, with Windshear shuffling next to them to lie at their feet.

At that, almost like someone flipped a switch, everyone fell into a deep sleep; with the exception of Ukiah.

Sitting there, stroking Arrow's spikes, he simply pondered what the future could bring. Not only to himself, or what he saw in his vision; but what the future would bring for everyone else.

* * *

 _ **Hey! So there's chapter three! However, I need to apologize. I know that the story seems rushed; even a little less original in regards to plot. Especially chapter two. I'm not going to lie, but I'm still super burned out on writing. It's not an excuse, or at least, I'm not trying to make it an excuse. But because of this, I'm going to take a little bit longer break from writing. At least until I get my thinking head and creativity back. I don't know how long I'll be, but I'm hoping it'll be a short set back. Again, I'm sorry, but I really don't want to botch up this one. I want to make sure my writing is as sharp as it was when I first started this series.**_

 _ **Thanks for understanding! I hope you enjoyed what I did put down.**_

 _ **P.S. To the guest that wrote a review I should change Matt's name to something more Norse/viking like, please read the beginning of the series. There's a reason why he's named Matt Haddock. If you want to make an account and PM me, I'll be more than happy to direct any concerns you may have.**_


	4. Chapter 4: Planning and Preparing

**Chapter Four: Planning and Preparing**

* * *

One week since the word of Zekir and Thariin was coming to invade Berk, plus the night when Ukiah told his tale to Hiccup and the gang, Berk was still busy with preparing for the oncoming fight. Barricades were being set up along the cliffs; the A-team was constantly on patrol, with a few Dragon Riders helping out; and even fishing ships were being prepared to receive the invaders.

"Oi! Hiccup! Get with sharpening those swords!" Gobber shouted over his pounding on metal.

"Yeah, yeah…I'm on it." Hiccup huffed in annoyance, walking into the forge.

"Cheer up, Hiccup!" Matt teased, watching him tie a brown apron over his riding armor. "Think of it this way! You're the only one that can be Gobber's extra hand! Pun intended!"

"Gods, Matt." Heather groaned, looking like she was in physical pain. "Seriously, how do you keep thinking of those?"

"It's a gift I guess!" He teased, smirking at her; which quickly disappeared as Astrid walked by.

Slugging him in the shoulder, she then walked over to a pile of weapons that needed to be sharpened. Grabbing an armful, she carried them over to where Hiccup was starting to spin the whetstone. "Mind helping us out? I don't think your jokes are going to help stop Zekir or his men."

"He'd love to." Heather growled, grabbing him and pulling him along. "We'll polish and organize the weapons you finish up, Hiccup."

"Guess I don't have a choice…" He huffed, letting her pull him along.

"Hey! We need to help out all we can! Fishlegs and Meatlug are making as much Gronckle Iron as they can, and Snotlout is helping make Nightmare Gel for our catapults and ballista launchers."

"What're the twins up to?" Gobber asked as he looked up from a sword he was pounding on.

"You know what, I actually have no idea." She replied, grabbing a sharpened sword. Using a wet cloth, she began to polish it, while Matt grabbed his own. "Probably blowing something up."

"Might be helpful actually." Matt suggested. "Them learning a new way to blow something up might help us with the coming fight."

"Or cripple one of us." Astrid huffed sarcastically.

"Hiccup? Are you here?"

Hiccup's head perked up as he called out. "Yup! Come on in, Lydia!"

Everyone turned to see Lydia walk into the forge with Ukiah next to her. Lasher was right behind them, with little Arrow darting in-between his legs. Since the week, she was getting more and more comfortable with everyone; dragons included. Wearing a light brown, almost tan, sleeveless tunic; with dark brown linen pants, and an extra pair of Astrid's fur boots; she looked more like a native of Berk than the royalty she was. Snotlout even tried to give her one of his favorite helmets, which she quickly denied.

Stopping at the counter, she simply replied "Ukiah said you wanted to see me."

"I did! I got your new armor right here!" Hiccup called out loudly, smiling at her.

"New armor? I thought you were tempering my old set?" She replied, confused at the news.

"That's what you've been working on?" Matt interrupted, sliding a sword into a stand. "I was wondering what was keeping you up so late."

"Well, as I was working on your old armor, I couldn't help but notice that it was still pretty heavy." Hiccup explained, grabbing a small chest from under a workbench. "So…I decided to make you a new set! Out of Gronckle Iron!"

"What's so special about this iron? My old gear was steel! How is this stronger?!" She cried out, a little angry at the thought of down grading. Especially since it was her first set of armor.

"Trust me, this is better." He replied with a smile. Opening the chest, he pulled out her blue tunic, with a shining piece of metal over its chest. It had similar engravings in it as her steel armor, but this time had shoulder guards that dropped past the short sleeves, protecting her exposed arms.

"Here! Hold it!" Astrid added, grabbing it and handing it to her.

Taking the armor, she gasped to see how light it was. Though it wasn't exactly weightless, it had the same weight as some of the padded leather armor her kingdom's soldiers used. "Wow, you weren't kidding its lighter…but how is it tougher than stee-"

Ukiah simply answered the question by swinging his crossbow off of Lasher's saddle, resting the bolt tip right against the metal. Pulling the trigger, the bolt hit the metal with such force, that it jerked the tunic right out of her hands.

Gaping at the sight, she saw that the bolt had barely left a scratch on the shiny metal.

"There, now you can stop worrying about its protection." He huffed, strapping the crossbow back on the saddle. "Wish my chainmail was made out of the stuff when I dueled Zekir. Don't think I would have lost my arm if it was."

"How's your new set treating you?" Hiccup asked, looking at him with sadness.

Ukiah simply shrugged. "Haven't really had a chance to test it." Looking down at the armor given to him by Stoick before he left to Crev, he then complimented "Though I'm sure it'll do its job. It's been comfortable since I've had it."

"Okay, but what about my gauntlets?" Lydia asked, sizing up the new armor to herself.

"Right here!" Hiccup called out, pulling a pair of gauntlets out of the chest and setting them on a table next to her.

Seeing the leather gauntlets, she smiled as the Gronckle Iron plates strapped on had similar engravings as her old steel ones. Quickly pulling them on, she was again surprised at how light they were. "Thank you so much! I can't believe how much better they feel being this light!"

"How does it compare to your royal set?" Matt asked as he sat down to resume polishing another sword.

"I'd argue its better!" She replied with a wide smile "Thank you so much!"

"Well, we didn't want you to say that we never gave you anything, lass." Gobber teased, wiping his brow. With his black covered face from working the forge, he then winked at her. "Can't let you go back to your home thinking we weren't grateful for your warning!"

"Well, it was because of Ukiah that I was able to warn you." She quickly replied, blushing at the compliment. "I'd still be stuck in a cell, bound in irons for who knows how long!"

Ukiah simply brushed off the compliment with a shrug. "If I was in your position, I'm sure you would have done something to help." At that, he reached and grabbed a bag strapped to Lasher. "Here, Gobber, got those feathers for the arrows you asked for. Took me some time to pluck the birds I got last night, but here they are."

"Ah thanks, Ukiah." Gobber replied, taking the bag and setting next to his fletching station. "Been running low on them for a couple of days now."

"Figured I could help with that. As well as getting food to stock up on." Waving his stub of an arm, he let a wry smile grow on his face. "Not that I'd be much help anywhere else." Feeling something claw at his leg, he looked down to see Arrow trying to climb up him. "What're you going to do when you get bigger? Huh, friend?" He asked, kneeling down and scooping him up with his arm.

"He's a friendly dragon." Lydia commented, smiling as she began to slip her new armor on. "Spent the morning playing in my bed. He must have gotten in the dirt, because I'm still shaking sand out of my blankets."

"He's a Sand Wraith for a reason. Once he gets older, he'll be able to fire burning balls of sand." He replied, staring at his little dragon. "He's probably still getting used to eating sand…"

"He eats sand?!" She cried out in shock, gaping at Arrow.

"Not for nutrition; not like Gronckles do with rocks and boulders." Hiccup explained, angling a sword on the rolling whetstone. "It's the way they reload themselves. Like Ukiah with his crossbow." At that, Ukiah stepped on his crossbow's arms and pulled back the mechanism. Another bolt magically reloaded itself, thanks to Matt's and Hiccup's ingenious engineering.

Lydia stared at Hiccup, still grasping the knowledge he had of dragons as a whole. Shaking her head, she then finished tightening the straps around her armor, making sure it was on tight.

"Hey, have we thought of letting Lydia train her own dragon?" Matt asked aloud, taking a sword from Heather. Mounting it on a stand, he let a wry smile grow on his face. "I mean, the more Riders we have, the better right?"

"Haven't really thought about it actually." Hiccup admitted, checking the edges on the sword he was working on.

"Uh…thanks, but no thanks." Lydia spoke up "I'm sure it's amazing to have your own dragon as a pet-"

"As a friend." Ukiah quickly corrected, letting Arrow down to let him run around again.

"Right, as a friend." She replied, blushing and feeling embarrassed at saying the wrong answer. "But my priority is figuring out a way to warn my dad and brother. Their men- my men…are going to be fighting for the wrong side. Though I'm not a leader like my father and brother, they're my people too! I need to be concerned for them and their well-being."

"Actually, I might have figured out a way on how to do that." Hiccup replied.

Taken back by the idea of a possibility, she quickly ran to him. "Tell me! Please!"

Handing the sword he was working on to Heather, he smiled at her anxious face. "Well, it's because we ride dragons. Unlike catapult's boulders and ballista's bolts, we can hit targets with precision. We can pick the ships we sink."

"But my father's men will still be shooting at you!" She cried in angst.

"We'll manage. We spent the last year being shot at by Hunters that specialized in taking down dragons. This won't be any different." Astrid reassured, letting a calm smile grow on her face.

"But-"

"Lydia, trust them." Ukiah whispered, resting his hand on her new shoulder guard. "They don't take risks if they know they can't come on top."

"Well, not anymore." Matt teased, smirking at Hiccup's scowl. "Took some experiences, but I think we got a good system now."

"Thank you, Matt. Helpful as usual." Hiccup huffed, rolling his eyes.

Lydia just stared blankly at the ground. Even though she was going to trust Hiccup and his friends, she still felt anxious about warning her dad and brother.

Ukiah saw her concern. Gently pulling her by the shoulder, he asked "Hey, would you mind helping me? I can skin boars and deer myself, but I think you can help me with holding my gear and the bags. Maybe we can think of an idea while we work."

Nodding, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Yeah, it might be good to keep myself busy; instead of dwelling on something I can't really help."

Nodding, Ukiah then began to walk away, saying "We'll be at the storage pit, Hiccup. If you need us, let us know."

"Sure thing, Ukiah!"

As the two walked away from the Blacksmith Shop, Lydia let a smile grow on her face. "You know, it's not often a princess helps out with skinning animals."

Ukiah nodded in understanding. "If you want, I can teach you how to do it yourself. If you think it won't be too much for you."

"Shut up." She jested. "I told you, even though I'm a princess, I hate being one. Show me how to do it, then let me try."

Grabbing his dagger out of its sheath, he carefully handed it to her. "I'll tell you how to do it. The best way to learn is to struggle through it yourself."

Taking the dagger, she smiled as she continued to walk alongside with him. One thing was for sure; the adventure she was on since she was taken hostage, was turning out for the better; at least for the moment.

* * *

"You're sure? This isn't something that Viggo is scheming for something grand, is it?"

"No, Darien." The captain replied, shaking his head vigorously. "My ship and the two escort ships are all that remains. We're the only survivors. Even then, the escort ships split away from us. We're the only ones that survived the Battle at Dragon's Edge."

Darien went numb. Collapsing in her chair, she simply stared at the desk with a blank expression. Viggo and Ryker were defeated? How?!

"How did Hiccup and his riders wreck so much havoc on you and all your forces?" Zekir questioned, deeply concerned at the news.

With the invasion fleet only days away from Berk, they ran into the remaining ships, or ship, that escaped destruction at Dragon's Edge. Since then, it's been nothing but bad news that's lowered the moral of Darien's crew.

"It wasn't the Dragon Riders. It was Ryker."

Darien's head snapped up, her eyes silently demanding for an explanation.

"Ryker turned on Viggo. His followers did battle with Viggo and his men. That's what caused so many ships to be lost. The Dragon Riders were then able to sweep the rest, leaving us to escape."

"Ryker…betrayed Viggo? Betrayed all of us?!" Darien hissed, her eyes burning with fire.

"Aye. To be fair, Viggo wasn't doing anything to gain our loyalty. That's why we chose to follow Ryker. He was going to put the Dragon Riders down. But he was killed. Well, I can only assume he was killed. We haven't seen him or Viggo since our defeat at Dragon's Edge."

Clenching her fists in agonizing frustration, she whispered with a cold tone. "For his sake, he better be dead. If he's not, he'll wish he was by the time I get to him!"

Ugo, who had been standing next to Zekir, asked "Does this change anything, Chief Black Heart?"

"No. Our goal doesn't change. We still need to rid ourselves of Bruvos and Auger." He replied. "All this set us back with us, is our dragon trade. We'll have to acquire dragons on our own."

"And of Matt?"

"We'll see what opportunities present themselves to us, but as of now, our priority is to ensure Bruvos is dead by the end of this." He whispered, folding his arms as he contemplated the news.

"Uh…Darien…" The captain began to say, breaking the silence that had fallen over her. "You're the only form of leadership left for us. My men are ready to follow you, since we know what you're willing and capable of doing. However, I can't say the same for any others that may still be around. As I said earlier, the ships that originally survived with us, abandoned their cause."

Nodding, Darien, stared at the generic map on her desk. Staring at the island labeled Berk, she then growled "Prepare your men, captain. If we're the last of the Hunters, we will sail with Zekir. Then we will focus on rebuilding."

"Aye, Darien." The captain replied, turning to walk out.

Sighing, she then leaned back in her seat. Feeling Banshee rub against her arm, she began to stroke his head as she stared at the map on her desk. Turning to her ship's captain, she asked. "Well, Turik…where do you and your men stand? Will you turn tail and go your own way? Or will yo-"

"Our loyalty hasn't shifted, Darien." Turik quickly replied, cutting her off. "We'll sail to the end of the world under your name. I too have seen what you're capable of. Aside from the fact you ride a Flightmare, we know you'll prove to be the leader Viggo couldn't be for us."

"Why did you follow him to begin with?" She quizzed, raising an eyebrow of curiosity.

"The gold. It was good at first, but then…well, that was the only reason." He replied with a shrug. "There was no loyalty to him other than the gold he forked out to us. I imagine that was why it was so easy for Ryker to turn his own men against him. You're different. We want to follow you. Not only will you make us rich, you'll be a leader worthy to follow."

Darien let a small smile grow on her face. Nodding in understanding, she then whispered. "Then inform the men, captain. We continue to sail to Berk. After which, we'll put our trade to use; we'll hunt some dragons and rebuild."

"Aye, Darien." Turik acknowledged, marching out of her room.

Leaning back in her chair, stroking Banshee's head, she silently relished in what just happened. Though Viggo was gone, and whether he was alive or not, it didn't matter. She took everything he had left and made it her own. She succeeded in making her name great. Which in turn, would make her family's name great; with or without Dagur, Heather, or any of the Berserkers.

"I always knew you were special." Zekir whispered with a smile. "Already in charge of the remains of a Dragon Hunter army, not with money, but with respect. A feat only a few in this world obtain."

"It will only last as long as I maintain their respect." She said. "Regardless of what Turik said, Viggo did have some level of respect. He was a mastermind. The only thing I can guess as to why Viggo fell from grace, is that he assumed he wouldn't have to maintain his image in front of his men."

Zekir thought of her answer, nodding in agreement.

"This fight…after we're done, I'm going to have to do something to solidify my role as leader of the Dragon Hunters."

"Leave that to me. I'll reward you and your men for your help." Zekir replied, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You being recognized by the Chief of Thariin will add to your credibility."

"And I thank you for that." She replied with a smile. "I think this means I'm going to pass up on your offer to help you rule Thariin. But I don't see why I can't headquarter myself from your land."

Zekir smiled at the thought of her basing her operations with him. Turning to Ugo, he then ordered "Ugo, get the men ready. We're only a couple of days away from Berk. Tell them that the Hunters are still our allies. And brief Bruvos that we're still going with the invasion. While you're at it, put out any rumors that we're sailing back and that the Hunters were destroyed solely by the Riders."

"Aye, Black Heart. I will." He replied, bowing slightly at him. Doing the same to Darien, he added "Congratulations on the promotion, Darien. I'm anxious to see what you do with your new position."

"As do I, Ugo…" She whispered, turning her attention to the map on her desk.

Leaving the two alone, Ugo closed the door behind him, as was his usual custom when they were alone.

"Every day, you get more and more beautiful." Zekir commented, taking a seat on the desk and looking down at her with a smile.

"Because every day my skin is recovering from the burns." She teased back. Looking at her left arm, she then frowned "Well, at least most of it."

Chuckling, Zekir shook his head. "You look fine. In fact, I think a little bit of the scarring will add to your legitimacy of being the new leader of the Dragon Hunters."

"I guess so…" She huffed, finally standing up from her seat. "How about we walk around the ship and you tell me how you're going to end Bruvos and Auger? I need to stretch my legs."

Grabbing her arm, he walked her out of the room, with Banshee following close behind. "Very well, I could use some fresh air myself."

As the two walked through the hallway of cages and cells of the Hunter ship, it was clear the men that were toiling around them had already heard the news that Darien was their new leader. Being hailed on both sides, she could only acknowledge the hails as they came too frequent to respond too.

Climbing up the stairs, she was greeted by the rest of the crew with shouts and cheers. Turik, who was manning the helm, smiled as she glanced at all the men cheering her on. Even the other Hunter ship that joined them was cheering, seeing her on deck. "I told you, Darien. We're loyal to you." He called out.

Slightly taken back, she simply rubbed the back of her head. "I…I know what you told me, it's just different actually witnessing it." Looking at all the men watching her, she let a proud smile grow on her face. "What say you? Shall we protect Chief Zekir's fleet from the Riders? I'm sure there's a handsome reward if we do so. That, and we'll get some dragons to boot!"

The two ships erupted into cheering in response.

"Get those ballistas in top shape! Wax the ropes on the catapults!" She ordered, smiling as the deck seemed to feel reenergized with her presence. "Fletch all the arrows we can! Hand them off sparingly to Zekir's men! If we have to, get into our extra reserves of Dragon Root!"

The deck all scrambled, with Turik issuing specific orders regarding where he needed men.

"And Darien becomes the Dragon Hunter that was needed all this time." Zekir whispered, walking her to the side of the ship. "Something Viggo could never understand. Cunning and money doesn't create followers, it creates minions. You now have people that will go to Helheim for you if needs be."

"Thanks…" She whispered, still feeling the electrifying feeling of being in charge. "Is this what it felt when you became chief?"

"Accomplished?"

"Yeah…that's a great way to describe it…" She whispered, smiling as she leaned against the railing.

Zekir smiled, also leaning against the railing. Watching the little dingy that Ugo was taking to his personal ship, the Water Breaker, he then counseled "What you've done so far is the hardest part; earning respect. And, as you told me earlier, you need to keep the image that your men see you as. It's all about maintaining what you want to be remembered by. If you don't, you'll simply be like Viggo. Lots of minions, hardly any loyalty."

Nodding in understanding, she smiled as she gazed at the water below. "So long as my men play a part in rebuilding ourselves, I'll make sure they have a leader worthy of their loyalty."

"I know. I don't need to be told to see that." He replied. "Now, as leader, you're really going to have to sharpen your fighting skills."

Taken back, she looked up at him to see him draw his broadsword.

"Draw your weapon. Your lessons begin now."

Smiling with her deranged expression, she drew her sword and stood ready to be instructed by the supposed Man'o War; The Black Heart.

* * *

 _ **Well, after a much needed break, I'm back. I hope this chapter was a little enjoyable at least. I'm going to be spuratic with the updates, as I'm back in school, as I'm sure most everyone else is too. Again, hope you enjoyed it! And I hope that I write to the same standard that you expect or would like!**_

 ** _I also realize this one is a little shorter, but I promise the other ones will be better/longer. Think of it as a way to transition the poor chapters previously into something better! =D_**


	5. Chapter 5: Battle at Berk

**Chapter Five: Battle at Berk**

* * *

Zekir, Ugo, Darien, Bruvos, and Auger were all standing on the deck of Darien's ship, looking out at the gray horizon. The slowly rising dawn was revealing the end of their journey, a single silhouette of an island. Berk.

"Doesn't seem that big…" Auger commented, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at it in the distance. "How has this island withstood so many assaults?"

"They're very resilient." Ugo replied. "Apart from their dragons, the people of Berk are no strangers to fighting against odds. Hence why Strogg almost died while fighting them."

Bruvos then spoke up, making everyone turn to face him. "So, Chief Zekir. What is your brilliant strategy that will give the edge over these…devils? Devils that survived more than a few wars and fights. I assume you have one."

"We push through. You're ships will lead the fleet, given they're more resilient than mine. We'll deal with the landing; your job is to keep the catapults and dragons off of us while we land. Darien's two ships will go in between our fleets, focusing entirely on dragons."

"That's your plan?!" Auger roared in anger. "To charge through? To kick down their door?! Why not wait until night then? When we're a little less visible!"

"And give them a complete advantage over us?" Zekir replied in an annoyed tone. "Hiccup Haddock rides a Night Fury, remember? This gives us the ability to see them come at us, instead of guessing where they are."

Bruvos then spoke up, also visibly angry with the plan. "Regardless, we're sailing into a death trap! That's why you wanted us to come! To take your hit!"

"To ensure victory!" Zekir growled. "I assure you, we will make Berk fall. They just have to be distracted and overwhelmed."

"That's all?" Auger huffed sarcastically.

"Aside from wanting to win, must I remind you that you don't have a choice?" He continued to say with a smirk growing on his face. "I'm sure Lydia's safety will make you give up your own."

Bruvos and Auger glared at him with curled fists. Even if they knew of his plan earlier, they were still in the same predicament.

"Then let's finish this, so we can sail back." Bruvos hissed, turning to walk to the gangway connecting his ship to Darien's. "Auger…help me prepare the men…"

Auger glared at Zekir, to which he whispered "Be warned, Zekir. After this is through, I will challenge you. You've done enough to ransom our lives. I'll be damned if I let you continue to abuse my family and our people!"

Reaching up and grabbing the hilt of his longsword, Zekir whispered back. "I was already counting on it…"

Unable to say anything else, Auger whirled around and marched after his dad.

Watching the gangway get pulled over, and seeing Bruvos' ship head to the rest of his fleet, Zekir whispered to Ugo. "Make sure we have a healthy distance between us and them. I want them torn apart by the dragons."

"Aye, Chief. I'll make sure of it." Ugo replied, walking over to where the Water Breaker was moored.

"Darien, with your few men and two ships, stay with us. We can protect each other as we advance."

"My ballistas and catapults are ready to fire. Even my men are armed with enough dragon root arrows to clear an entire island of dragons."

"Hopefully we won't need to use that many arrows." He replied with a wry smile. Looking ahead, he watched as Bruvos' fleet organized together and began to sail ahead. Drawing his longsword, he simply let the tip rest on the deck of the ship. "Here I am…The Black Heart. I already did something my father couldn't, and now I'm going to do another. Let this be an example to any tribe that defies me and Thariin! Especially you, Matthew Haddock, the Dragon Boarder…"

* * *

"I told you! I told you I saw them on my patrol!" Snotlout shouted, seeing Hiccup gaze at the fleet in the distance. "And you guys didn't believe me at first!"

"Considering you 'saw' them every day for the last three days, at least understand the reason why we didn't quite believe you." Matt groaned, rolling his eyes as he stared at the dots in the horizon.

"Hmm…it looks like they're breaking off into two fleets. A smaller one up front, and then the larger one in the back." Hiccup announced, peering through his spyglass.

"I can see the value in that." Stoick commented, stroking his beard as he chewed on the information. "It's like a shield. Though it may be consumed, the real strength and threat is behind it."

"What're you thinking, dad?" Hiccup asked, handing the spyglass to Astrid.

"Well, we can't ignore the first fleet. Perhaps if we use our own ships to contend with them, we can let you and the A-team to start working on the second fleet. That way we're wearing down on both of them."

"Can you handle the first fleet, Stoick?" Ukiah asked, walking up with an anxious looking Lydia. "That's still a pretty large fleet."

"We can make it work. Between our catapults and ships, we can keep them off our shores." Stoick replied adamantly.

Lydia quickly jogged up to Astrid, beckoning for the spyglass. Seeing her anxious face, she handed it to her and tried to calm her. "Don't worry, we'll try to avoid your kingdom's ships."

Not really hearing her, she peered through the spyglass. Seeing exactly what was going on, she shouted. "My father's fleet is in front! They're the ones leading the charge!"

"What? Are you sure?" Stoick asked, looking down at her with concern.

"Positive! That's our crest!" She cried. "Zekir is using my father and his men as a buffer! That's why he wanted us to help him fight!" Pulling the eyeglass away from her eyes, she growled to herself "I wish I could end that…coward!"

"Dad! I have an idea!" Hiccup called out, his mind racing a hundred miles an hour. "We can keep the fighting off of Berk!"

"Go on." He ushered, turning to listen to his son.

"We'll go start razing Zekir's fleet. With you and your ships following. Ukiah can take Lydia to her dad and have him switch sides in the middle of the fight!" Turning to Lydia, he explained "The only reason why he's helping Zekir, is because he thinks Lydia is in danger. When he realizes that we helped her- er, that Ukiah helped her, I don't see why he wouldn't help us turn on Zekir!"

"It might work…" Lydia whispered as her head spinning at the idea. "Since Zekir is distancing himself from my dad, we won't have to worry about hurting my people!"

"Between both Berk's ships, and Bruvos' fleet, we can hit him twice as hard! Never mind we'll be already setting them on fire!

Nodding in agreement, Stoick turned to Ukiah, who stood ready for whatever was decided. "Will you take Lydia to her dad?"

"Yes. After which I'll be joining Hiccup." He replied resolutely. "I'm not going to sit out this fight. Arm or not, I can't be idle while I have a chance at Zekir. Or at least hurting his fleet."

Knowing that trying to keep him out of the fight would be impossible, Stoick nodded in agreement. "Just make sure that this King Bruvos knows we're to be allies. If he doesn't see reason in that, I'm afraid that we'll have to use Lydia against them."

Lydia's head snapped at Stoick, shocked to hear him say that. Understanding that he was ensuring his people's safety, she quickly claimed "I'll get him to know you're not enemies. I promise you. After all you've done for me, it's the least I can do."

Nodding, Stoick then announced "Get going, Hiccup! The sooner you leave, the sooner we can end this war!"

"Riders, on me!" Hiccup announced, leaping onto Toothless. "Matt, I need you to-"

"Already on it, Hiccup! I'll be the catch all!" He announced, strapping his feet to Wasatch. "Anything that slips past you guys, I'll stop."

"Heather, can you fly with us?" Hiccup continued to say. "We could use you and Windshear!"

"Already planning on it!" She called out, gripping her handles on her saddle.

Stoick was already issuing orders, running to where he left Skull Crusher. All the while, Ukiah had climbed on Lasher and was helping Lydia on behind him. Arrow was prancing around Lasher, frenzied that he couldn't climb on.

"Stay, Arrow." Ukiah whispered, looking down at his dragon. "I can't risk you getting killed."

Arrow let out a screech of anger, not really understanding orders quite yet.

"Thank you…" Lydia whispered, wrapping her arms around Ukiah.

"Well, just make sure your dad knows we're friends." He replied, letting Lasher walk next to Toothless.

"Don't worry. He'll know that you're all friends after he sees me."

"Ready?" Hiccup asked turning to see everyone behind him.

"The A-team is already in the air." Astrid announced, pointing to the group of Dragon Riders.

"Whenever you want to go, Hiccup." Matt shouted, pulling his goggles over his eyes. "Been awhile since I've rode with these!"

"Considering you were flying for Viggo for a bit, it makes sense. Just don't lose them." Heather teased, smirking at him.

"What are those things?" Lydia asked, being her first time seeing them.

"How about I tell you after the fight?" He replied with a smile. "Part of that story I said I'd explain later."

"Fair enough."

"Wooh! More ships to blow up!" Ruffnut shouted, pumping her fists in excitement. "How many are there?!"

"Not enough sister…" Tuffnut replied with a strangely solemn expression. "This will have to make up for the ships we weren't able to sink back at the Edge."

"If you twidiots are done, care to go?" Snotlout growled, launching Hookfang into the air.

Looking around, they were shocked to see everyone was gone and in the air, leaving them rambling to themselves.

"Agh! You guys better not sink the first ship!" Tuffnut roared, glaring at the party leaving them.

* * *

"Here they come! Dragons!" Auger roared, seeing the beasts flying straight at them. Grabbing a standard bow and quiver, he slung the arrows around his armor. "Draw your bows! Pick your targets and never let up!"

"Brace yourselves! Sailors! Keep the ship straight and dowse any fires! Soldiers! Focus on killing the dragons!" Bruvos shouted while drawing his sword and watching in agonizing suspense as the dragons got closer and closer.

"You two, on me!" Auger ordered, jogging up to the bow of the ship. The ships nearby also had a group of men do the same, all armed with bows and arrows. The two men next to him drew back their bows, aiming at the lead dragon, being black as midnight. Breathing deeply, Auger drew back his bow, pulling back an extra inch to give him maximum speed and distance for the arrow.

"Sir…what are they doing?" One of the men asked, aiming up as the dragons refused to lower themselves. "They're flying right over!"

"Fire!" Auger shouted, letting loose his arrow.

All the men followed suit, released their arrows which tailed embarrassingly behind their targets. Even the other ships let loose their missiles, all missing and proving to not threaten the passing dragons.

The dragons and Riders then dove down behind them, skimming just above the water and right towards Zekir's fleet. Except a purple one, which simply went higher in the air.

"What are they doing, sir?" A sailor asked Bruvos, staring in disbelief that the dragons passed by them as if they were invisible.

"I…I don't know!" He replied, watching a Zippleback and its riders engulf a ship in green gas.

"My King! Another dragon! Heading straight for us!"

Auger instantly drew back another arrow. Whirling around, he saw the dragon. Gliding slowly towards them, he couldn't help but wonder why it wasn't flying faster; or at least why it was putting itself in a position to be so easily shot down. Waiting for it to just enter within his range, he was shocked to see it stop to a hover. Turning its side, it revealed its passengers.

"Wait…my Liege! Is…is that Princess Lydia?!" One of his men gasped, slowly releasing his arrow.

"By the gods…I…it's impossible!" Auger cried out, recognizing the blonde hair and blue tunic, though the armor seemed to be shinier.

"…Auger! Dad!" Lydia shouted as loud as she could and waving her arms at them.

"Stand down!" Bruvos ordered, walking up next to Auger. "Is…is it really her?"

"I don't know! How did she escape? How did she get here?!" Auger replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

Lydia then turned and said something to the Rider she was with. Slowly, the dragon began to make its way to the ship. The men quickly drew back their bows the closer the beast got to them, to which Auger roared "Drop your weapons now! It's clear this thing is not a threat!"

Reluctantly, the men did as they were ordered. All slowly released their arrows and dropped their bows on the deck, though some reached for their swords just in case.

"Dad? Dad!" Lydia shouted, getting closer. Unable to wait for Lasher to land, she leaped off and crashed on the deck in front of them.

"Lydia?! Wh-what-is that you?" Bruvos cried out, grabbing her and picking her up.

Crying tears of joy, she instantly grabbed him in a hug. Unable to say anything, she just gripped him like it was the last time they were to see each other.

Auger stared at his sister in disbelief. Turning, he saw the Dragon Rider finally touch down on the deck. Unsure if he should approach the stranger, he noted his appearance. Draped in a tattered, black cloak; the chainmail he wore was…sharp looking, though it was rather plain. It made him feel like he was wearing inferior armor compared to the strangers. Still hesitant, he simply waited for their guest to make the first move.

"Lydia. I'm glad you're back with your family…" He spoke up with a frown. "But we're in the middle of a battle. Would you mind telling him what we need?"

"What you need?" Auger growled skeptically.

"Auger, no. He's right." Lydia replied, pulling away from her dad. Grabbing Auger's hand she pulled him back. "The Riders and Berk aren't the enemies! It's Zekir! That's why the others flew over our ships! They know you're only here because you're forced too!"

Bruvos turned to see the dragons strafing the outside ships of Zekir's fleet, staying away from the two Hunter ships and Zekir's main craft. She was right, the Riders completely ignored him and his men.

"Chief Stoick is sending his fleet to fight Zekir! If we join him, we can end this fight with them!"

Bruvos then tore his eyes from the battle behind. Seeing Berks ships sailing towards them, he then growled. "Do you trust them, Lydia?"

"With my life!" She quickly replied "They could have easily taken it hundreds of times! They would have used me against you if they had other intentions towards us!" Gesturing to the Rider that brought her over, she added "Ukiah here originally saved me from that crew that had me. If he didn't do anything to me then, he won't now!"

Auger was about to question Ukiah just as Bruvos shouted. "Hard to port! Turn our ships around! This is our chance to rid the chains over us!"

Captains and soldiers immediately began to scramble; issuing orders and repositioning the sails.

Ukiah watched as the fleet began to turn itself around, grateful he wasn't going to need to be creative to snatch Lydia if he had to. Hearing someone walk towards him, he turned to see Bruvos slowly make his way closer; still being hesitant with the dragon on his ship.

"Dad, this is Ukiah Legna…he's the one that freed me." Lydia began to introduce.

"Ukiah…thank you-" Bruvos began to say, only to be cut off.

"Listen, I understand what it means to you to have your daughter back; and more importantly, safe." He growled, grabbing his crossbow. "But right now, my friends are endangering their lives for you. Help us fight, and then we'll be able to talk. I promise."

Bruvos nodded in understanding. "Auger! Get the men ready to board some ships!" He ordered, marching to shout orders to another ship nearby.

"You heard the King! Get the grappling hooks ready! Get the torches lit!" Auger began to shout, running to where their gear was stored.

Lydia just stood there, unsure of what to do. Looking at Ukiah she silently asked him what he wanted her to do.

"Stay here. It'll be safer than riding with me." Ukiah answered for her. At that, Lasher launched off into the air and towards the battle behind.

Running to where she could see it more clearly, she watched the smoke rise in the sky, with the fires looking like they were magically dancing on the water. Silently praying that her new-found friends would be protected, she could only watch the battle rage as her ship slowly made its way to the fight.

* * *

"My chief! Our outside ships are being ripped apart!" A soldier cried out, gaping at a Monstrous Nightmare that set fire to supply ship like it was a dry tinderbox.

Zekir gritted his teeth angrily. Even though his ship was protected by his strongest ones, and two Dragon Hunter vessels, the rest of his fleet was being as the soldier described, being ripped to shreds!

Boom!

Gaping in anger, he watched as a lightning bolt splintered a nearby ship's mast, leaving it dead in the water. Looking up, he felt his blood run cold as he watched Matt and his Skrill circle high above the battle; firing large, precision lightning bolts well out of range of any weapon they had! Even Darien's anti-dragon weapons.

"My Chief! Why did they pass over Bruvos' fleet?!" Ugo shouted, watching helplessly as ships slowly began to sink. With the exception of the ones attacked by a Zippleback. Each explosion from that dragon and Riders seemed to disintegrate the wood!

"I don't know…" He growled, looking to see what was happening to Bruvos' fleet. To his horror, he watched them slowly turn around, revealing Berk's fleet as well! They were sailing with each other! Side by side!

"Retreat! Turn around and sail away!" He roared, seeing that it was hopeless. If it was just one of the fleets, he'd have no problem fighting with it. But with the dragons harassing his ships, there was no way he could actually fight two of them! He wanted to end Bruvos and Auger, but he was no fool like his father before him. He wouldn't sacrifice his men just to accomplish one thing that would matter little in regards to defending his village and land.

He sprinted to the side of his ship, the Water Breaker, to where he shouted to Dairen. "Darien! Pull back! We can't fight them all!"

Darien was already ahead of him. She saw the fleets merge together and knew that even with her limited resources, Zekir wouldn't have a fighting chance against them. "Turik! Start turning around! Signal our other ship to follow!"

As if everyone was waiting for the signal, the Thariin fleet began to turn, trying to out run their pursuers.

Then, out of nowhere, a light blue explosion ripped across the deck of the second Hunter ship. Whirling around, Zekir saw who it was. A silver dragon and a black haired girl! The black haired girl he bought as a slave! "Heather!" He roared, realizing that the dragons were now moving towards the center of the fleet.

Heather didn't hear him. Letting Windshear take a wide turn she lined herself up with Stormfly, who had just finished strafing a ship herself. "Are they turning around?" She asked out loud, seeing the ships slowly change their route.

"Slowly, but it won't be enough to save them!" Astrid shouted, hugging her saddle as they continued to bank around. "Looks like Lydia did her job with convincing her dad to help us! We out number them two to one!"

Heather then dove Windshear down with Stormfly, skimming above the water and right towards another ship. Seeing a hail of arrows fly their way, they both barrel rolled away from each other in opposite directions. Firing a long blast, Stormfly set the stern of the ship ablaze, while Windshear blasted a hole in the bow. Pulling up and flying out of arrow range, they turned to see the ship already started to sink into the water.

"Eh, I give it a six out of ten."

The two looked up to see Matt coast in-between them, smirking his usual smile.

"Oh? Well, care to show us what you would call a ten?" Astrid growled with narrowed eyes.

"Of course! Wasatch, see that ship?" He called out, pointing at one of the two Hunter ships. "Let's put a hole in it."

Wasatch screeched with a violent sounding roar, making sure every single ship below heard him. Letting chaotic bursts of lightning emit from his mouth, he reared his head back and then fired a pillar of lightning. The beam instantly punctured a hole through the deck of the Hunter ship, cutting through it and launching splinters everywhere and forcing the Hunters to dive for cover.

"There. That's a ten!" He laughed, seeing the ship slowly start to lag behind the fleet and lower itself into the ocean.

Astrid rolled her eyes as she put Stormfly into a dive. Heather followed, though she let her usual smile.

Matt watched as he searched for another target, either with helping Stoick's fleet or Lydia's, or covering any of the other Riders. The Thariin fleet had completely turned tail, though that meant very little to the pursuing fleet. Slowly, the combined fleet caught up to ships tailing behind, either setting them ablaze with Nightmare Gel canisters, bombing them with catapults, or simply hooking them with grappling hooks!

"Come on, bud. Let's help slow down the lead ships…" He growled, crouching and putting Wasatch into a dive. His job of over watch was done, now he could really get down and dirty with the rest of the riders!

Surging above the Berk fleet, as well as Lydia's fleet, Wasatch screeched as he showered a Thariin ship with lightning bolts, setting the wood ablaze and ripping up the mast.

To his right, he noticed Ukiah and Lasher landing on the deck of a smaller ship. The Triple Stryke, let loose a blast of fire, clearing any enemies that would have otherwise been in the way. Ukiah used the momentum from the stop to run off of the back of his dragon, sending a bolt into a soldier that was trying to draw his bow back. Dropping his crossbow as he landed, he drew his newly acquired sword as he somersaulted on the deck. Leaping into the air with the sword high above his head, he crashed the sword into a shield of a defending sailor. With his momentum stopped, he swept his leg under the sailor, tripping him onto his back. Plunging his sword into the fallen sailors chest, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Lasher struck two soldier rushing at him. The soldiers screamed as they were launched over the side of the ship. Pulling the sword out, he growled angrily at the gathering of the rest of the men. Berk's ships were already passing by, resuming the chase to the rest of the invading fleet.

"Lasher, let's go!" He ordered, sheathing his sword and running to where he left his crossbow.

Lasher roared in a fury, shooting another fire blast at the gathered soldiers. Just as he did so, an arrow flew from the fire and struck the Triple Stryke in the shoulder, staggering the dragon.

"Lasher!" Ukiah shouted, sprinting to his dragon. Inspecting the shaft, he knew he couldn't pull it out right then, and with Lasher still standing and roaring at the where the soldiers were, he guessed it wasn't covered in Dragon Root. "Thank the gods…" He whispered, climbing on while being careful with the arrow. "Are you alright, friend?"

Lasher roared, fueled with anger and adrenaline. Not even checking if Ukiah was on, he launched into the air, ready to take down another ship.

The Thariin fleet was in shambles! Aside from the dragons harassing the outer ships; well all except Matt, who was busy trying to stop the front of the fleet, it was otherwise splitting up and and forced to separate thanks to the Berk fleet and Bruvos' fleet driving their ships in between them and forcing them apart. Only Zekir's flagship as well as the last remaining Hunter ship was ahead.

"Ukiah!" Hiccup shouted, flying Toothless next to Lasher. "We're going after the fleeing ships! All the riders are!"

"I'm with you Hiccup!" He shouted back, feeling a cold feeling wash over him. This was it. He was going to end the killer that took a piece of himself and his life away.

"Everyone, ready?" Hiccup shouted, gliding up to pick up Heather and Astrid. "Matt's already harassing them!"

"Let's go!" Snotlout shouted "The days' not getting longer!"

"Hiccup! Leave Zekir to me!" Ukiah shouted, pulling back on the crossbow's mechanism to reload it. "He's mine…"

Worried for his friend, but also knowing that it really wasn't up for debate, Hiccup nodded. "Be careful, Ukiah."

"Careful isn't an option. I'm here to finish this!" He roared, letting Lasher surge ahead.

With that, everyone followed, ready to finally put the nightmare of Thariin waging war with Berk to a close.

"Zekir! We can't out run them!" Ugo shouted, flinging an arrow towards Matt, though it was helplessly too short the cover the distance.

"We can…we just need something to keep their attention." He growled, seeing the other riders make way towards his ship.

"Zekir!" Darien's voice cut in, making him look up at her ship nearby. "Set your sails as much as you can! I'll buy you your time!"

"No! You're still recov-"

"I'll be killed if I don't try! We all will!" She roared, disappearing from the edge she was standing on. "Take whatever ships you can with you, mine included. I'll buy us some time and keep them focused on what they got!" At that, a blue bolt launched into the air, heading straight for Hiccup and the other riders.

"Darien!" Zekir shouted, watching her fly straight at them. Curling his fists, he then shouted "You heard her! Get us out of here! Anyone that can't keep up is going to be left behind!"

Ugo instantly began to help set the sails, issuing other orders to try and keep Matt at bay.

Zekir watched the apparent Dragon Boarder surge into the sky, trying to give chase to Darien and her Flightmare, Banshee. "Be careful Darien. I came here to get revenge on him…not for him to kill you…"

"Hiccup! Its-"

"Darien! I know! Everyone, split up! Don't let her hit you!"

At that, they did just that. Astrid and Heather went up, while the twins went left, and Hiccup and Snotlout went right. Ukiah dropped lower, weaving back and forth between ships masts and columns of smoke.

Darien instantly banked to chase the twin, ignoring the others. The Zippleback did its best to try and lose the pursuing Flightmare.

"Come on!" Ruffnut shouted, turning around and glaring at Darien boarding on Banshee right behind them. "One dragon boarder is annoying enough! Besides! You're not even flying a dragon that can make us explod-"

She was instantly cut off as a comet of blue mist drilled into her and the Barf, forcing the Zippleback to spiral out of control.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Tuffnut shouted, gripping Belch's head with a death grip.

"Hiccup! The twins!" Astrid shouted, gasping as she watched them crash into the ocean.

"Everyone! Go help them!" Hiccup shouted, banking Toothless to fly alongside Stormfly. "Keep Darien and any other ships away from them!"

"Look! It's Stoick!" Heather shouted, pointing at a large dragon surging after Darien.

Hiccup gaped in horror as he watched his dad give chase to Darien and Banshee. Putting Toothless into a dive, he shouted "Come on! Cover the twins! I got to keep her off of him! She's faster and more maneuverable!"

The group that was able to get together, instantly followed him. They watched as the glowing, blue blur, danced in the smoke-filled sky against Skull Crusher. Though Skull Crusher was surprisingly agile, he was getting out maneuvered with Darien's turns; given that she was standing on him and could shift her weight a lot more easily than Stoick ever could.

"Fishlegs! Heather! Help the twins! I'll go help my dad!" Hiccup roared, urging Toothless to go faster.

Heather and Fishlegs instantly banked left, with Heather leaping off of Windshear to hold Ruffnut above the surface. Meatlug herself had grabbed Barf and Belch, lifting them out of the water; all while leaving Tuffnut shouting angrily as he treaded water.

Astrid and Snotlout tailed behind Toothless, with Matt rocketing high above them. Hiccup watched in horror as Darien rolled over a fireball that Skull Crusher fired, placing herself directly behind his dad!

Looking behind her, seeing Hiccup, Astrid, and Snotlout giving chase; she smiled as she focused back on Stoick. "Good-bye, Stoick!" She shouted.

Hiccup roared in a panic "No!"

Banshee fired a stream of mist right in front of Skull Crusher's path, just as he tried to bank out of the way. "Arrggghh!" Stoick shouted angrily, feeling both himself and his dragon lock up. Plummeting to the ocean below, he crashed away from the fleets and disappeared in a white explosion of water.

"Well, Hiccup…what'll it be? Your dad? Or me…" Darien sneered at him, turning and facing him with a smirk. Pointing above her, she then let Banshee freefall into a dive. "I know what Matt's choosing!"

Just as she said that, a lightning bolt surged right next to her. Matt and Wasatch screamed past Hiccup and the others, leaving a trail of lightning.

"Kill her!" Matt roared, not giving any attention to Hiccup or the others. He could only see her. Darien. The one on who he spent most of his time chasing and trying to kill.

"Astrid, Snotlout! Go get my dad!" Hiccup began to order. He knew he had to go with Matt. Not for vengeance sake, but for Matt's.

They didn't even reply or acknowledge the order, as they were already diving to where they watched their chief and Skull Crusher crash.

Gritting his teeth, Hiccup let Toothless go into a dive, chasing after Matt and Darien. "Come on, bud…she made this a lot more personal!

Toothless growled angrily, letting his eyes narrow. Seeing Darien weave between ship's masts, darting in and out of the smoke, with Matt chasing her closely; he fired a plasma blast at her, in an attempt to slow her down.

Banshee responded with a simple air brake and jerk to the right, letting the plasma blast erupt on a sinking ship, being one of Bruvos'. Even Matt and Wasatch overshot her, to which they used their speed to climb higher into the air.

"Come on, bud! They can't even compare to us!" Hiccup shouted, banking Toothless to be right behind her and Banshee.

Banshee then surged forward, heading towards where Zekir's fleet was finally pulling away from the carnage and leaving Bruvos' and Berk's fleets in their wake.

Narrowing his eyes, he lined up Toothless perfectly with Banshee, ready to take a shot.

"Alright, bud…not that big of a shot…we want her alive."

Toothless roared, letting a purple light grow in his mouth. Just as he was about to fire, Banshee spontaneously rolled, shook, and shifted himself; leaving a lingering mist behind him and right in front of Toothless!

"Look out-Aggh!" Hiccup roared, realizing too late of what just happened. The familiar feeling of being froze locked his body up, as Toothless as well! Time slowed as he watched Darien turn to smirk at him, just as he began to plummet into the ocean. Unable to express his anger and frustration, he simply crashed into the water, fighting everything to try and free himself.

"No!" Matt screamed hysterically, seeing Hiccup disappear under the ocean.

"Listen, Matt. I know you can beat me." Darien shouted, seeing him stop over where Hiccup and Toothless crashed. "I won't go after your precious ancestor, and you won't chase us. Got it?"

Matt glared at her, about to let Wasatch take a shot at her.

Knowing what he was going to try to do, she let Banshee roll over the spot where Hiccup went missing. "I will kill them before you could even get a shot off. Think about it; me, or Hiccup."

Gritting his teeth, Matt turned his head and cussed to himself. "Get out of here, slut."

"Ah, you've always been one with words." She teased, smiling at him. "We'll meet again, Matt. But I will be a better rider. I will not lose to you again." At that, she and Banshee rocketed to the fleeing fleet, leaving Matt and Wasatch alone.

Cursing again, he unbuckled the bindings that strapped him down, pulled his goggles to hang from his neck, and leaped below feet first. Crashing into the water, he let his eyes get some bearing, he desperately searched for Toothless and Hiccup. Seeing them float motionless ten feet under him, he kicked his legs and reached for them. "Come on, Wasatch…could use your help with Toothless!" He thought to himself. Reaching for Hiccup, he pulled him off the saddle and began to kick up to the surface. If anything, he could guide Wasatch to Toothless as he could hold his breath longer than Hiccup ever could.

Trying to drag him up to the surface, he was shocked to see something rocket into the water in front of him! It was Lasher! With Ukiah gripping the saddle! Lasher instantly wrapped his three tails around Toothless; one by the neck, another around his chest, and the last at the tail. Flapping his wings, he then began to tow Toothless up.

As Matt finally broke the surface, he gasped for breath but focused on keeping Hiccup's head above water. Unable to see with the water running over his eyes, he could only hear Lasher beating his wings against the water, slowly rising up.

At that, he felt something grab his shoulders and hoist him up as well. Getting dragged against something, he felt Hiccup get pulled out of his hands. "What? No!" He shouted, trying to grab Hiccup again.

"Easy, lad. You're both safe." A voice boomed over him.

Shaking his head, he looked up to see a different face looking down at him. The man had a trimmed beard and looked aged. He was wearing simple looking armor, though it was lightly trimmed with gold. The stranger never brought him any comfort though, as it was the face next to him that he recognized. "Lydia?"

"We saw that Hiccup crashed, and then you dove in after him. So I asked my dad to come help you out." She explained, walking over and helping him stand up.

Sighing in relief, he turned to see a couple of men trying to help Hiccup, who remained motionless. Toothless was already set down by Lasher and even Ukiah had already dismounted. Wasatch was hovering over them, watching what Bruvos' men were doing; ensuring nothing bad would happen to his friends and rider.

Ukiah was silent. Walking past all the men, he then stood at the stern of the ship. The remnants of Zekir's fleet was well out of way. And with most of the Dragon Riders out of commission, including their leader and their chief, it was pretty obvious the battle was over.

Lydia then jogged over to Hiccup, seeing if she couldn't be of some help for him. Matt, not taking his eyes off Ukiah, walked towards him.

Watching the specks of ships slowly disappear, Ukiah shook his head. "I tried. I tried to get to him…but I couldn't leave you guys. Especially in the water." Shaking his head, he looked down and quietly added "Guess I'll be leaving on another trip to hunt down the Black Heart."

"We. We'll be leaving on another trip." Matt seconded, making Ukiah look at him with a raised eyebrow. "You're not the only one trying to stop someone from hurting others. I got to go after Darien. Otherwise…" At that, he turned to face where Hiccup and Toothless lay. "Otherwise I'll never be able to rest easy."

Realizing what he was saying, Ukiah slowly nodded in agreement. "Then let's make sure we succeed this time. Both of us."

"Both of us."

* * *

 _ **Whooo! So many changes in perspective in this chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it! And I hope you don't mind the inconsistencies in regards to posting chapters as they come. I'll post when I'm able, which could be days or weeks from each other. Again, hope some people liked it!**_


	6. Chapter 6: Adventure Time! Again

**Chapter Six: Adventure Time! Again…**

* * *

"This was where you've been living for the last few weeks?" Auger asked, walking with his sister down one of Berk's roads. Watching the villagers bustle around them, he shook his head as he recalled her tale of how Ukiah saved her and brought her here.

"And working with them." She answered with a smile. Grabbing his arm, she began to pull him towards the Dragon Arena. "Ukiah taught me how to hunt and skin animals; Heather and Astrid are teaching me how to fight better with an axe; and their blacksmith, Gobber, taught me a little bit about working a forge!"

"Heh, guess you'll enjoy returning home as a princess. Seems like they used you for slave labor."

Lydia shook her head. "Not really. I actually enjoyed it. It was fun to learn how things are made, and the skills to actually obtain food, instead of expecting it on the table."

"I guess you've always been like that. Too much energy to stay content with what our home offers." He commented with a smile. "Seems you've been busy since arriving here. You'll have to introduce me to your friends, now that we have a second to breathe. Who is Matt again? He's the one that was frozen by Darien, right?"

"No. That was Hiccup. He's Matt's brother and the leader of the Riders. Matt was the one that dove in after him. He rides the Skrill and wears those different clothes."

"The…Skrill?"

Laughing, she shook her head with a wide smile. "The dragon that shot lightning. The one that was fighting high in the sky! Apparently his other Skrill is really hurt, so he's resting at another island."

"I see…" He whispered, stroking his short beard that was growing on him since they left on their trip. "I…I'm just glad your safe. Dad and I were racking our heads trying to think of a way to find and save you."

"I'm sure you were, but it all worked out in the end, didn't it?" She replied with a wide smile. "I'm glad dad didn't want you stay with him when he talked with Chief Stoick. I really wanted to show you the friends I made and the things I did."

"Dad said that he wanted to visit with Stoick alone. So that's why I'm able to be with you. And speaking of your friends, from the short-time I've been able to visit with them, I can see why you say they can be trusted."

As the two trekked to the arena, they could hear Hiccup talking out loud as they approached the gateway: "I'm glad we were able to send them retreating, and that we're all safe…but we all know that the fight isn't over yet. Especially for Ukiah."

"I know, Hiccup. I'm just saying you should slow down a little before we decide to go dragons blazing again. We just finished fighting Viggo and Ryker, and now we finished a battle involving our home. We almost lost you and Toothless. Again!"

"That's Astrid. She's quite the warrior." Lydia explained, smiling as they entered the arena. "I'll let you get to know everyone."

"Lydia! Good to see you!" Snotlout chimed in, making everyone in the arena turn to see her and Auger. "I'm sure you saw how mighty and fierce Hookfang and I were during the battle. Whose bravery was unmatched!"

"It was…it was something!" She partially lied, forcing a smile on her face. Turning to Hiccup, she then asked "Are you feeling better?"

"The paralysis wore off a while ago. Thanks for letting me and Matt recover on your ship." He explained with a soft smile. Walking up to Auger, he extended his hand and introduced himself. "Hiccup Haddock. The Rider you picked out of the ocean."

"Prince Auger. Lydia's brother." He replied cordially, shaking the hand with a firm grasp. "I understand you're one of Chief Stoick's sons. Thank you for letting Lydia stay with your people."

"Sons. Pphh…" Snotlout coughed while rolling his eyes.

"Ah, that's Ukiah's doing." Astrid piped up, sharpening her axe with a stone.

"Ah, I briefly met him. Before we turned on Zekir and his fleet." He commented, studying her and how she skillfully maintained her weapon. Lydia was right, she was a warrior.

"Where is he anyways?" Lydia asked, looking around.

Hiccup pointed to one of the arena's stalls, being half open. "In there. Lasher took an arrow in his shoulder during the battle, and now Ukiah's busy trying to get it out. Thankfully it wasn't poisoned with dragon root."

"I thought I heard Lydia. Oh! And her brother to boot!" A voice shouted behind the group.

Everyone turned around, revealing Matt, Heather, and Fishlegs flying through the gate. Smiling at her and her brother, he jumped off Wasatch and limped towards them. "Figured you'd beat us here. Had to pick something up for Ukiah."

"What'd you need to get him?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Heather kept on walking past the group, holding up a container of some kind of putty. "Something Gothi makes for the purpose of removing arrows. Ukiah said he swears by the stuff."

"Oh, that's because she used it to pull an arrow out of him a couple of years ago." Hiccup explained, realizing what it was.

Auger then whispered into Lydia's ear. "By the gods…who is that?"

"Who? Matt?"

"No. The girl that flew with him. The one that rides that silver dragon?"

"Ah! That's Heather! She rides Windshear, a Razorwhip." She answered, smiling at her. "She's not from here, she's a Berserker."

Auger just nodded, watching her walk into the stall where Ukiah was supposedly at.

"I'm just glad it wasn't Ukiah that took the arrow." Astrid huffed, sitting on a crate to resume sharpening her axe. "That'd be frustrating if he had to rest his only arm."

"I really need to visit with this Ukiah." Auger said aloud, hearing another tale about Lydia's mysterious savior. "Who is this…man? Does he really have one arm?"

Matt pulled down his goggles, revealing a somber face. "He's…gone through a lot with his life. I'll let him tell you the rest."

"That's an understatement." Fishlegs commented, walking Meatlug to a tub full of water. "The places he's been, the fights he won, and th-"

"And the fights he lost!" Ruffnut added loudly, making Auger and Lydia cringe at the sound of her voice. Whirling around, Auger stared at the…twins, who were lounging around on some barrels.

"Yes, we don't try to focus on that, Ruffnut!" Astrid growled, glaring at her in anger.

"Why? It's a cool scar!" Tuffnut replied with a smile. "Hey, maybe I should lose my arm too. It'd be easier to tell who is who! Right, sis?"

"Unless I lose an arm too!"

"Ooooh…that'd be even crazier than just being twins!"

"Wait…that's…a girl?" Auger whispered in shock.

Before Lydia could reply, a loud clang sounded off, with Ruffnut lying on the stone ground in a daze with her helmet spinning next to her. Alongside was Astrid's rock that she was using to sharpen her axe.

"Whoo hoo hoo!" Tuffnut laughed "Nice shot, A!"

"Ugh…Thor's beard…" Astrid huffed, walking up to Auger. Extending her hand, she smiled as she introduced herself. "Astrid Hofferson."

"Prince Auger." He replied with a cordial smile. One thing he couldn't shake was that she was beautiful; as was the one named Heather.

"So…what are our dad's talking about?" Matt asked while taking a seat on a table scattered with ropes and other crafting materials.

"Don't know, though it sounded like they wanted to talk about what we should do in regards to Zekir and Thariin. We'll have to be leaving tomorrow, given that we still have a kingdom to defend." Auger replied, seeing Matt push a lever of what looked like a brace on his leg.

"Welp, guess I'm going too." He huffed, stretching his arms and legs.

"What? What do you mean?" Hiccup cried out in shock.

Matt's face hardened, knowing he was going to have to tell his exact reason. "Darien. That's what I mean. Hiccup, she rides a dragon! And she's still pissed at us! Especially since we beat Viggo and Ryker. While she still lives, she's still a threat to us." Gesturing to Auger and Lydia, he added "Not to mention our new friends here. I can't relax until we stop her!"

"And I'm not resting until Arrow is avenged."

Everyone turned to see Ukiah walk out of the cage, with Lasher behind him. The arrow was out, and Ukiah was holding it in his hand. Heather was holding Arrow, who was clinging to her armor like a magnet. He even tried gnawing on the Razorwhip scales, which he quickly gave up on.

Handing the arrow to the twins, given they liked that kind of stuff, he continued to say "I can't rest until Zekir is gone."

"It seems we have similar goals…" Auger commented, walking up to Ukiah. "First things first, I need to express my gratitude. Thank you. For what you did for my sister. I've been looking forward to meeting with her savior."

Staring at Auger, Ukiah slowly took his hand, shaking it. "Anyone would have done it if they were in my position."

"Still, thank you."

"So, what are you talking about?" Heather asked, taking a seat next to Matt. "I heard Hiccup sound shocked about something. Which means you said something, didn't you?"

"You know me well…" He huffed in annoyance, rolling his eyes. "Ukiah and I are going to leave with Lydia and Auger. I'm going to help them fight Zekir."

"Why?!"

"I'll give you three guesses and a hint. Her name starts with a D."

Heather closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah…I figured you'd go after her. I was just hoping you wouldn't though."

"After what she did to the twins, Hiccup, and Stoick today, not to mention everyone else previously, including you and me; it's a wonder why I'm not flying after her right now."

"Matt, I think it might surprise you that I'm ready to go with you too." Hiccup said aloud, making everyone turn to stare at him in shock. Walking to Toothless, he began to stroke his friend's head. "I…I almost lost Toothless…almost my dad too. Darien made it clear that she doesn't plan on fighting us with boundaries. She's going to do what she needs to do in order to get even."

Matt got up from his seat, walking to Hiccup with a quizzical expression. "Are you saying…?"

"I'm saying I'm going with you and Ukiah. She was already a threat that couldn't be ignored, but now she made it personal to me." Then, a lot quieter so that only Matt would hear, he muttered "It'll only be a matter of time before she goes for Astrid."

"Then the three brothers will go with Bruvos." Ukiah said aloud, walking up to Matt and Hiccup. "We'll stop our nightmares from harming others."

"Ugh, you guys are stupid." Snotlout growled, making everyone turn to glare at him. "If you want to go to war with the same people that took Ukiah's arm and became Viggo's apprentice, then be my guests!"

"I may not be a leader like my brother or father." Lydia spoke up, walking up to Ukiah. "But I'm ready to help you as well. From what you and the others have taught me, I should be at least some help to you with the layout of the land, even the culture of the people."

"I mean, you know, you will need someone who knows how to fight to help you guys out." Snotlout quickly added, his entire demeanor changing. Walking up to Lydia, he smiled at her as he said "Besides, can't let anything else happen to our princess here."

"Ugh!" She huffed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"Your concern is noted…" Auger growled, butting in between him and Lydia. Though he wasn't much older than any of the Riders, his silvered armor plates made him look like a tower over Snotlout.

"You think I'm going to let you go on your own?" Heather spoke up, marching in between Matt and Hiccup. Getting into Matt's face, she growled "Weeks ago, I thought I lost you. I thought I'd never see you again! At least alive…"

"But what about Dagur? Your home, Berserker Island?"

"What about you?" She quickly countered. "Matt, you keep counting yourself out! You're a significant part of my life too!"

Auger's face fell as she spoke, realizing that she was already seeing a guy, being Matt.

"And you're a mutton head if you think I'm staying here." Astrid shouted, spinning her axe in her hand. Marching up to Hiccup, she held the axe head to his face, as if daring him to tell her to stay. "I'm going with you, whether you like it or not. Besides, I promised Ukiah I'd help him. I'm going to keep my word."

"I figured that'd be your response." He replied with a wry smile.

Fishlegs then stepped up, loudly adding his opinion. "Meatlug and I are in too! We don't let our friends do things by themselves!"

"As long as we get to blow something up, get some cool scars, and find something for Chicken; we'll come as well." Tuffnut followed up with.

"We will?" Ruffnut groaned, finally recovering from Astrid's rock.

"Uh, yeah! Scars! Need I say more?"

"Good point…uhhh…" She agreed, falling on her back.

"Chicken?" Auger whispered to Lydia, who simply shrugged in confusion.

"Matt, Ukiah, let's go tell my dad." Hiccup announced, climbing on Toothless. "Astrid, can you be in charge of preparing our supplies?"

"You got it." She acknowledged, grabbing Snotlout to help her.

"Auger- er, Prince Auger, you can ride with me."

Auger swallowed, realizing he was going to be actually riding a dragon! Turning to Lydia, he was shocked to see her casually walk up to Ukiah and his dragon. After watching Ukiah help her on, he simply forced himself to step towards Hiccup. "Anything I need to…be aware of?"

"Hold on tight. Don't look down." Matt teased, strapping himself in.

"Alright…" He huffed nervously. Toothless looked at his new passenger curiously, sending an inquisitive growl.

"Easy, bud. He's a friend." Hiccup replied with a smile.

As Auger sat himself behind Hiccup, he wrapped his arms around him. "Alright, I think I'm ready."

"We'll be back in a bit!" Hiccup shouted, letting Toothless launch into the air.

"Whoa-aaggghhh!" Auger shouted, taken back by the speed.

"Geez, brother, didn't think your voice could go that high." Lydia teased as Lasher flew alongside Toothless.

"Shut up! I'm sure you screamed when you first rode with them!" He shouted, looking down below him with a paling face. The height was something he never experienced before, neither was the fact that he was riding a dragon!

"Actually, she handled it like she's done it before." Ukiah commented, keeping his face looking ahead. "She only held me with a death grip when we first took off."

Auger stared at Lydia, who simply smirked at him.

"I keep saying we should teach her how to train her own dragon." Matt added casually, carving in the air behind the two. "She's a natural. Wasatch had no problem with her when they first met. Neither did Stormfly."

"Well, Stormfly has no issue making new friends." Hiccup called out. "But Wasatch was always cautious with new faces. It was relieving to see him take to her so well."

"Same with Lasher and Arro- Arrow!"

Matt and Hiccup watched as Lasher banked hard right, turning back to the arena.

"Well, guess he's still getting used to having a baby dragon to take care of." Matt laughed, shaking his head at the comedic scene.

"Yeah. To be fair, I forget that he has another Sand Wraith." Hiccup commented, smiling at the thought. "Come on, the sooner we tell my dad, the sooner we can get ourselves ready for the trip."

* * *

"Listen, Zekir will only come back to fight us when he rebuilds." Hiccup argued, standing in front of his dad and Bruvos. "And we know he will!"

Stoick simply sat at his chair, stroking his beard as he continued to listen to his son.

"We know he'll come back to finish what Strogg started. And he won't rest until either we're dead, or himself."

"And what if he attacks while you and your friends are gone? What if he never actually retreated back to Thariin?"

"You still have the A-team. Besides, he's lost half his fleet! You only lost a ship!" Gesturing to Bruvos, he then added "Besides, our problems will double if Zekir actually is able to conquer Gorthurk! He'll have the resources to have four times the fleet than what he came with!"

Stoick turned to Bruvos, asking "How does your army compare to Zekir's?"

"I left a quarter of my men to defend my land if needs be. As weak as Zekir is now, they'll be able to thwart any invasion he could throw at them." Bruvos answered. "But your son is right. Zekir will rebuild; Thariin is a hub for commerce, and it won't take him long."

"Aside from that, Darien will be rebuilding the Hunters as well. That means they'll have weapons and equipment entirely designed to counter us and our dragons." Matt threw in, interrupting the conversation. "This isn't just about Zekir. It's about Darien as well, Chief. What she did to you and Hiccup…it's just a sample of what she wants to do to us personally."

"Why do you call your father, chief?" Bruvos asked, looking at Matt curiously.

"It's a long story. The gist of it is that I wasn't part of this tribe for the most part of my life. As such, he wasn't my dad until really a year ago." Matt quickly explained, hoping to not need to go into detail. "Though we're related, I was more or less adopted into this tribe like Ukiah."

"I see…"

"Dad, let us go help Bruvos. We can at least stop Zekir from trying to attack us again. And we can end Darien's threat to us as well! The fight with Viggo and Ryker will mean nothing if she's still free."

"By free, you mean breathing…" Matt growled, playing with his knife in hand.

Stoick sat there stroking his beard and contemplating on letting Hiccup go with Bruvos.

"Father, let them come with us…" Auger spoke up, making everyone turn to him. "Lydia trusts them with her life. We've both seen what they're capable of. If we let them help us, then we might have a chance to stop living under Thariin's shadow. We can finally break free from them. Besides, Matt and Ukiah made it clear they're coming with us regardless of what Chief Stoick decides."

"You have no idea…" Ukiah whispered, having stayed quiet during the 'discussion'.

"It's true! If I had to pick anyone to rescue me again, it'd be the Riders!" Lydia quickly added, looking at her dad with an earnest expression. "If they want to help us, we should let them! We owe them that much!"

"Auger, Lydia, we're not going to pull our new friends and allies into our own mess; especially if we can't guarantee the safety of their Chief's son, or sons in this case."

"Not if we agree to come anyways!" Matt quickly countered. "We've lived with danger. We've waged a war by ourselves!"

Stoick waved his hand, silencing the argument. "Hiccup. Are you sure you want to do this? It's not just you and your friends you're involving; it's the Berserkers too. Heather is part of them, as is Matt now."

"Dagur would come himself, if offered." He quickly answered. "Matt's the one pushing it, as is Heather."

"King Bruvos, if you wish to let them go with you, then they have my blessing." Stoick replied with an authoritative tone. "As I don't dare leave my shores undefended, I can't send my men or fleet with you. But my son and his friends will be more help than all my ships, catapults, and men put together."

Bruvos looked at Hiccup, then to Matt, and finally to Ukiah. Letting out a long sigh, he shook his head as he agreed to the offer. "If it's their wish to come, they are welcome too. I don't have much of a choice with Ukiah, since he saved my daughter and as a result, stopped a meaningless slaughter of my men's lives. However, I do not guarantee their safety; or that they will return."

"We know what the risk is. We've lived with it ever since we personally decided to become Dragon Riders." Ukiah spoke up, shocking everyone that he broke his silence. Standing up from his seat, he let Arrow cling to his chainmail armor. "Danger never swayed us before, and has never altered our decisions when it comes to protecting those we care about. Or in my case, avenging them." Motioning with his stub of an arm, he growled "It's the entire reason why I lost my best friend and arm."

"And why I limp." Matt added, standing up and taking his brace off.

"And why I have this." Hiccup finished, taking off his prosthetic and waving it to everyone.

"If this is your decision, then we leave immediately. Auger, get the men ready. I want the ships resupplied and ready to sail before nightfall."

"Yes, father." Auger replied, bowing to his dad. At that, he marched away, leaving everyone behind.

"Hiccup, Matt, Ukiah. I need a word with you." Stoick announced, standing up from his seat.

"If I may, Chief Stoick, I would like to visit with Ukiah." Bruvos asked, staring at his daughter's rescuer. "I've yet had the chance to talk with him."

"Very well. Hiccup, Matt, with me." Stoick replied, walking out of the Great Hall with the two.

Ukiah stood there, gently letting Arrow down. Watching the Sand Wraith sniff around and wander around the obstacles created by the benches and tables, he turned to look at Bruvos and Lydia.

"So…Ukiah. What was your last name?"

"Legna."

"You're not an actual son to Stoick, are you?"

Shallowly shaking his head, Ukiah could only stand there. He wasn't that excited to spill his whole life story to a man he didn't really know. "As Matt said, we're both adopted into the tribe. Specifically by Stoick."

"Would you mind telling me why you call Matt and Hiccup brothers then?"

"Dad! Stop questioning him!" Lydia snapped, walking to stand next to him. "He saved me! A thank you would be sufficient!"

Raising his hand to silence his daughter, he calmly explained his intentions. "I know, Lydia, but I'm under the impression that Ukiah doesn't value words. A thank you would hardly seem appreciated. Hence why he doesn't direct you as princess, or me as king. Words are words, valued as nothing unless action is associated with them. Am I right?"

"…I asked him to not call me a princess…" She muttered under her breath.

"You can read people fairly well." Ukiah agreed. "I'm glad I was able to help you and Lydia, and I'm happy that my decision to go with you will help your people. But when you learn the reason of why I'm doing this, is because I'm pretty selfish."

"I understand it's vengeance that is driving you. And I do not think it is selfish." Bruvos commented. "Desires for oneself is not being selfish. It's when your desires overcome others well-being. You didn't need to help my daughter, yet you did. You didn't need to help your brother, who was shot down in the ocean earlier today, yet you passed up pursuing Zekir to help his dragon."

"I vowed I wouldn't let my personal feelings prevent me from protecting them. Again." Ukiah whispered, looking down. "I don't regret what I did, though I still wish I went after Zekir."

"As I felt when I had to leave Lydia in the Black Heart's clutches back in Thariin." Bruvos replied. Walking up to Ukiah, he extended his hand out to him. "As far as proper introductions go, I am King Bruvos of Gorthurk. I understand that you, Ukiah Legna, are not a Berkian. Where are you from?"

Ukiah slowly took the extended hand, grasping it with a firm grip. "Crev. I was taken here by Stoick and Hiccup."

"Crev…I heard of that place…" Bruvos whispered, staring at Ukiah with a stupor.

"You might have heard of it, but it no longer exists. Only skeletons and graves."

"A Crevite…" Bruvos gasped as he made the connection. Staring at him in wonder, he simply whispered. "If I recall…your peop-"

"I'm nothing like them. I spent my life trying to burn that away." He quickly snapped, glaring at him with fire in his eyes.

"I can see that. You haven't yet made an attempt on my life, nor Lydia's."

"Dad…he doesn't like to talk about it…" Lydia whispered, eyeing Ukiah nervously.

"I understand. Ukiah Legna, though I can say I thank you for helping rescue my daughter, I offer instead my fleet and men to help you end Zekir the Black Heart. If you succeed in this, you help me as well."

"Sounds like a mutual agreement then." Ukiah replied. Gesturing to Lydia, he then said "As far as what I've done for Lydia, just forget it. She's been a friend to all of us, and it's something anyone of us would have done."

Resting his hand on Ukiah's shoulder, Bruvos gently shook his head. "No. It's something I won't simply forget. In time, I hope to be able to repay you. Until then, I welcome you and your brothers, and their friends with us. We'll all benefit with this agreement, especially when one such as you will be accompanying with us."

Ukiah didn't say anything. Looking up at Bruvos, he simply nodded.

"Pack your things, Lydia. We're leaving as soon as possible."

"Yes, father."

At that, Bruvos turned to leave, walking to the doors of the Great Hall.

"I'm glad you're coming. Hopefully we can help you stop Zekir; and maybe help you get some peace." Lydia whispered, walking up to and squeezing his arm that was resting on his dagger's hilt.

Ukiah instantly tensed up, feeling her grab his arm. "My only desire is to end Zekir. Revenge will mean nothing if I don't stop him from hurting others."

Seeing that he was still tense about his past, and his experience with losing his friend and arm, Lydia gently let go. "Then let's go. Thariin isn't going to get any closer."

Nodding, Ukiah turned to leave, with Lydia alongside. Arrow screeched, seeing that he was being left behind. Sprinting after Ukiah, he weaved in between his feet, as if to try and trip him up.

"You little tyke…" Ukiah growled playfully, lightly kicking Arrow out of the way. "I guess the trip will be a perfect opportunity for you to learn how to fly."

"Maybe…you could teach me how to befriend a dragon." Lydia whispered shyly, unsure if was inappropriate to ask.

"Maybe."

"I know Matt's been wanting to show me."

"Well, I guess he'd be a good one to learn under. He's the only one that's been able to train a Skrill. Twice."

"Are they hard to train?"

"Each dragon is different. I wouldn't say one's harder than another, but even Hiccup couldn't train a Skrill. And he's called the Dragon Master for a reason."

"How did he get that title?"

"It's a long story. And wouldn't make sense without everyone to talk about it."

"The trip's going to be a long one. I don't see anything more perfect to pass the time! As long as Snotlout doesn't get closer than what he's already doing when I sit down."

"You've got a lot to learn about him. He doesn't take hints very well. Nor does he give up easily."

"…great…" She huffed, shaking her head in agonizing frustration. Opening the door, she stepped out to see Stoick, Hiccup, and Matt talking to each other. All their dragons were nearby, waiting and listening to the conversation.

Letting a faint smile grow on his face, Ukiah picked up Arrow and walked up to Lasher. "Go ahead and get your gear. I just need to run to the forge, as that's where I left my gear after the fight. I'm also going to help Astrid. I'll see you at your father's ship."

"Uh…sure. Se-see you in a bit then." She called out, seeing him launch into the air. Watching him fly away, she let out a long sigh. Finally tearing her eyes away from him, she gazed at her dad's fleet. The ten remaining warships were more than enough to carry his men. But even better, it was enough to invade Thariin with, given that Zekir lost half his fleet and men with it. Even with the advantage of defending, they'd have to fight Dragon Riders. Something that even with Dragon Hunters, they couldn't exactly prepare for.

"Gall, you're an open book." A voice loudly called out to her.

Startled, she whirled around to see Matt and Hiccup walk up to her. Matt was giving her a mischievous smirk, which was oddly comforting.

Hiccup then gently grabbed her arm. "Are you alright, Lydia?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course. I'm fine." She stammered, turning to look back at the fleet. "I'm just…just taking it all in. Last week, even this morning, I was wondering if I'd ever be able to warn my dad about me being safe. Now look at what happened. Not only are we reunited, but we're finally in a position to stop Thariin from ruling us. All that I thought about in this life has…changed."

"Sounds like me when I first rode Toothless." Hiccup replied with a smile. "Everything I knew, even all that my dad knew, was disproved when we became friends."

"Sounds a little more extreme than what I'm going through." She replied with somewhat of a forced smile.

Matt saw the chagrin. "Hey, Hiccup. Can I talk with Lydia alone for a moment? I'll go help her get her stuff."

"Oh, uh, sure. If you want me to." Hiccup replied, taken back by the request. Turning to mount on Toothless, he gave Lydia one last comforting smile, and then took off.

Lydia then turned to Matt with a confused expression, wondering why he wanted to be alone with her.

"Come on, let's get your stuff." He replied, guiding her back to the Great Hall, where she had taken residence while she lived with them.

"What's going on? Is there something I said that's bugging you?"

"I'm not the one being 'bugged'." He explained, limping alongside her. "Something's bugging you, isn't there?"

"Uh, no! Not really!"

Matt gave her a look that screamed that he wasn't buying that answer, making her let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Ugh, fine. I guess there is one thing bugging me…"

"Being?"

"Ukiah. It's Ukiah. He's been so kind and selfless to me, but sometimes he acts like he doesn't want anything to do with me. I don't understand him!"

"I don't think any of us do. He's been sort of a mystery ever since I met him."

"I thought you were brothers? Is it because he's adopted?"

"Uh…yeah. We'll go with that for now." Matt replied with a scrunched-up face, as if to try and figure out the answer to the question. "The thing is, you're not alone in that thought. Ukiah's a person who's seen and done things most adventurers don't get to experience most of their lives. He was born alone and friendless. He's from a tribe that's been known to murder for no reason. And he lost someone that could have been arguably been closer than family."

At that, the two arrived at her room, to which she began to pack the few things she acquired while living with Berk, including a new battle-axe that Gobber made for her. Throwing her few clothes gifted to her in a bag, she then looked up at Matt, who was busy folding up the blanket she was given by Astrid. "What happened to him? How did he get here then?"

"That's something he should tell you about. Not me."

"If he ever wants to…" She whispered, looking at her bag dejectedly. "He would barely say anything about himself to my dad."

"To be fair, he doesn't trust your dad. At least not like he does with you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what it sounds like; that he trusts you. He let you sit in on his story of when he was at Crev, didn't he?" He asked, taking her bag from her. Shouldering it, he then began to walk her out.

"Sure, but that was because you were all ther-" She began to counter.

"No. Not really. If he didn't want you there, then he wouldn't have let you come with us. Just give him time, and I'm sure he'll tell you his story."

Lydia pondered what he was saying, with a thought growing in her mind. "And if he doesn't?"

"Then ask him." Came the quick reply. "Who knows? Maybe that's all he needs now. Besides, I think he likes you too."

"Wha-what?!" She cried out, staring at him in disbelief.

"Please, Heather and I have both seen how you look at him. Especially when you ride with him on Lasher." He teased with a smirk on his face. "We're betting against each other on who will make the first move." Nudging her with his elbow, he laughed at her blushing face. "I'm betting you will."

Not saying anything, Lydia just looked ahead, trying to hide the red on her face.

"Don't think too much about it. Just talk to him and he'll open up about himself." Matt continued to say, walking through the doors of the Great Hall. "Wasatch! Come on! Let's help Lydia over to her ship!"

Watching the Skrill sprint to Matt, Lydia nervously tapped her gauntlets. She couldn't deny it; Matt nailed exactly what she was thinking about. Looking down at where Gobber's forge was, she simply thought about her rescuer, Ukiah; and how he was becoming more of a mystery the more she got to know him. More importantly, she was thinking of possibilities to help him have some sort of peace in his life.

* * *

 _ **There you go! Hope you enjoyed it! Again, I'm not expecting this Act to be as long as the previous one, but doesn't mean it won't have a story or memorable scenes in it!**_


	7. Chapter 7: Commitments & Compliments

**Chapter Seven: Commitments & Compliments**

* * *

Matt let out a long yawn, stretching his arms as he limped out on the deck of Bruvos' flagship. The sun was out and showing that it was at least late morning; also hinting to the fact, was that he was the last one up.

"About time you woke up." Heather huffed, seeing him rub his head to get the bed hair out and to get the hair to cover his scar a little more. Walking up to him, she lightly hit him in the shoulder. "I was about to have Windshear grab you and throw you in the ocean."

"You know, these couple days of sailing has made me think you should give me a break." He replied back with a nonchalant tone. "It's not like me waking up any earlier is going to help us get to Thariin sooner. Besides, I haven't slept in since we beat Viggo and Ryker. I'm treating myself!"

"Well, at least you never changed while I was gone."

Both Matt and Heather turned to see Ukiah walk up to them, again with Arrow darting in between his legs. He had his chainmail removed, and he too looked like he had just woken up; as his hair was a mess and he was shirtless; revealing his many scars on his body.

"Hey, Ukiah. Have good rest too?" Heather asked, smiling at him.

"Yeah, I did. Until Arrow decided to wake me up." He huffed, glaring at Arrow who was clawing at Heather's boots. "I'm glad I became a hunter instead of a sailor. I don't think I'd do very well sleeping as much as I have."

"There's nothing wrong with having a little extra sleep!" Matt laughed, turning to lean against the ship's railing. "To be honest, this is the first time I've really been able to enjoy an actual cruise. I've been on boats, even before I came to Berk, hence why I've been able to wakeboard; but never really had a chance to sail on one. Especially for a length of time."

"What about the time Ryker had you, Astrid, the twins, and Fishlegs?" Heather asked with a mischievous smile. "Oh, and me too. Though I was a captive far longer than you ever were."

"I said enjoy! As in, I want to be on a ship." He growled, shaking his head at her. "Last I checked, I was held against my will on the ship. Nor was I able to enjoy it!"

"Speaking of Ryker…and Viggo as well. What happened when I was at Crev? How did you guys beat them? Last I saw, they still had a large fleet and plenty of men."

"Well, a lot happened actually." Matt replied with a smile. "We met a new village that worships and helps dragons shortly after you left. Maybe a day after."

"Weren't too friendly when we first…met with them." Heather added, remembering the chase that ensued with the Defenders of the Wing. "Knocked Matt and I out after they captured Astrid and Hiccup."

"Wait, why? Didn't they see that your dragons were your friend?"

"They thought we were enslaving them. That it wasn't a bond, but rather master and slave." Matt explained. "Let's just say...I quickly changed their minds on that. As did Hiccup."

"These guys called themselves the Defenders of the Wing. And after we showed them that we were friends, that's kind of where all our adventures started." Heather continued to say. "But it mainly involved Hiccup and Matt."

Ukiah turned to Matt with a raised eyebrow, asking him to explain; who simply let out a smile and gestured to something behind him.

Lydia then walked up to the three, nervously looking around; as if looking out for something.

"Something wrong, princess?" Matt asked, teasing her with her title.

"Ugh, thanks Matt." She growled, shaking her head angrily at him. "Snotlout isn't here, is he?"

Heather was the first to respond. "Not that we're aware of. No."

"Good. I've been hiding from him since we set sail…" She moaned, turning to lean against the rail with Matt. "I never thought I could be annoyed by someone so easily."

"And welcome to our lives." Heather groaned, shaking her head as she remembered all the times he was hitting on her.

"Sorry to interrupt you, what were you talking about?"

"Just talking about the adventures we had while Ukiah was missing." Matt replied with a shrug. "You're more than welcome to stay and listen."

"Sure! I'd like to learn more about the Riders." She replied with a smile. "As well as your history with past events and such."

"History." Matt scoffed, chuckling at the thought.

"What's funny?" She asked, confused at his laughing.

"Never had anyone put it that way." He replied with a wide smile. "So…as Heather said, what we went through was entirely because of Hiccup and me. Viggo wanted to stop us, and at the time, we thought his entire focus was on me."

"Because it was." Heather huffed, rolling her eyes at him. "Viggo placed bounties on Matt and Hiccup, Just so that he could get them. At one point, he then took over the Northern Markets and while we were scouting them out, he captured Matt."

Ukiah looked at him nervously, not sure what to expect.

"This is where it got weird. He wanted me to…join him. To be his lackey." Matt began to explain. "I thought it was because he no longer had Darien as his own Rider, but that wasn't really his intention at all. It was the fact that he wanted to ruin Hiccup. Not ruin, he wanted to destroy Hiccup. To make him feel like a failure and someone that killed his friends."

"But what did he do to you? I mean, you never joined him, right?" Lydia asked, listening to every word. Ukiah simply stood there with an expressionless face. He of all people experienced the feeling Viggo was trying to make Hiccup feel.

"No. At least, not at that moment." He answered, looking at Ukiah to see what his reaction would be. Seeing his face set in stone, he then continued to say "So…during our adventures, Hiccup and I…we've had a few arguments and disagreements. And at the time, it seemed like every single idea he had somehow hurt me along the way." Grabbing Heather, he pulled her closer to him. "Even hurt Heather a couple of times."

"It's a risk we all take." Heather defended. "Being a Dragon Rider is unique as it is. So are the dangers of living like one."

"And your position as sister to a chief adds to that." Ukiah quietly added. Gesturing to Matt, he added "And in your case, being The Dragon Boarder and brother to the Dragon Master."

"But you have perks, right? I mean, you wouldn't be Riders if you didn't want to be." Lydia asked, looking at them all with concern.

Matt nodded with a wide smile. "Of course. There's a reason why I…why I chose this lifestyle. Same with Heather and Ukiah. All for different reasons, but with all the same goals."

"That reminds me…" Lydia began to say "You mentioned that you weren't always Stoick's son. When did that happen? Where were you before? Were you adopted like Ukiah?"

"That's a whole other conversation. Let me finish this tale first for Ukiah." He replied with a smile. "Anyways, Hiccup and I had a falling out. A pretty big one actually. We both said some things we'll never say to each other again."

Heather shook her head, grabbing and holding Matt closer.

"During our…disagreement. Hiccup and the others were captured by Viggo."

"Wait. Everyone? And their dragons?" Ukiah asked, gaping at him in horror.

"Except Heather, her brother Dagur, and me." He answered. "He ransomed them for me, and that's where I learned exactly why he had such a big target on my back. He made me choose either Hiccup and Toothless remain as his prisoners, or to swap them out for me and Wasatch; which is what I chose."

"Hiccup was a wreck after." Heather began to say, taking over the story. "Viggo accomplished what he set out to do, and that was to mentally destroy Hiccup."

"What about you?" Ukiah asked, looking at her with concern. "I know how Matt reacted when you were taken."

"I was in shock; almost beyond feeling." She whispered, almost in shame. "Dagur…my brother…he was the only one that really could help me, which he took me to my home, Berserker Island. From there we'd go search for Matt, since we had no idea where Viggo would have taken him."

"However, while she was gone, Hiccup and the others came to get me, as they had an idea where I was." Matt interrupted, looking down slightly ashamed. "Astrid was the first to scout the island I was being held on, only to find that I had joined with Viggo and Ryker."

"Wait. You mean it? You actually joined your enemy?" Lydia gasped, staring at him in shock. "Why would you do that?!"

Ukiah gently reached out and grabbed her shoulder, as if to comfort her frenzied mind at the idea. "Let him finish his story. We know how it ends."

Looking at him, she slowly nodded, realizing she was a little immature with her reaction.

"So…just to get it out of the way, I actually captured Astrid for Viggo. Not because I was now a Hunter." Matt began to say, rubbing the back of his head. "All to show him that I was aligned with him. You see, the only reason why he spared me, was because I said I wanted to get back at Hiccup. I wanted to get revenge on him. And so, me capturing Astrid let me prove I was going to fight against Hiccup. He had a secret project, and the only way I was going to learn about it, was if I became someone like Darien."

"What happened to Astrid?" Ukiah asked quietly, his voice growing cold at the thought of her being hurt for Matt's charade.

"Viggo used her to bait Hiccup and the others into a trap. And it worked. He would have one too if I hadn't played a little intervention." He explained, folding his arms and looking down with an ashamed expression. "Viggo would have suspected me if I hadn't…beat on Hiccup before he left. I really hurt him, but I was able to pass the message to him that I was trying to figure out what Viggo was up to."

"So it all worked out…" Lydia whispered with a relieved smile.

"Not…really." Heather spoke up, glaring at Matt. "While Viggo spared Hiccup and the others, thanks to Matt, Ryker hated it. And in turn, betrayed Viggo."

"The battle between the two destroyed most of the Hunters and their ships." Matt explained. "Ryker did win though, and as I was flying away with Viggo, Viggo poisoned me with Scauldron Venom. Because I was barely alive, Viggo was able to play Hiccup into fighting Ryker; making everyone think he was on their side."

Ukiah simply stood there, staring at Matt with an earnest expression.

"Ryker was in control of a dragon called a Shellfire. And because he could control it, he destroyed The Defenders of the Wing's home, as well as Berserker Island."

"Being the reason why my brother, Dagur, isn't here with us. He's rebuilding our village and we still have a lot of time before we actually recover."

"During the raid on Berserker Island, I almost lost…I almost lost Teton." Matt whispered, looking at Ukiah sadly. "I almost went through what you did. And God…I don't know how you went through that."

Lydia looked at Ukiah with wonder, unsure of what Matt was talking about.

"I said I lost a friend, thanks to Zekir." Ukiah quietly explained. "It was Arrow. The first one. The one that grew up with me and fought with me…"

Lydia stared at him in sadness, unsure of how to comfort him.

"The Shellfire was going to attack The Edge next, so I took Heather, the twins, and Snotlout to strike at the dragon, and to stop Ryker from controlling it. Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs stayed to defend Viggo as a prisoner, and to stop any Hunters that would try to land themselves on our island. To be short, we beat Ryker. Wasatch ripped him apart."

"While Viggo hit Hiccup and Astrid from behind." Heather added, taking over the conversation. "He held her hostage for the Dragon Eye, which Hiccup destroyed while freeing her. Stormfly and Toothless then took care of him, which in the end, leaves Darien as the one in charge of the remaining Hunters."

"Being my entire purpose for being here. To stop her." Matt whispered. "I swear, if she escapes again…erggh…"

"Let's not think about it. At least for now." Heather whispered, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Well, there you go. That's what we went through while you were missing."

"Had I known…I'd have been here instead of training…" He whispered hoarsely. "I'd like to think I could have changed a few things."

"Not to worry, it's how I felt after you told us what happened to you." Matt replied with a wide smile. "Can't go back, only forward. Remember what I told you?"

"Get up and keep on boarding." Ukiah repeated, shaking his head with a hopeless smile. "Trust me, I haven't forgotten that."

"Good!"

"What do you mean, 'board on'? Is that something I should know?" Lydia asked, looking at Heather with confusion all over her face.

Laughing, Heather shook her head as she went to walk away. "I'll let Matt explain that. I guess I should check on Windshear and see if she's not getting into trouble."

"Do the same with Wasatch for me!" Matt called out, watching her leave. Shaking his head, he then asked "Where did Hiccup and Astrid go? I haven't seen them or their dragons."

"They went for a ride. They said something about patrolling around the fleet." Lydia answered for him.

"Right. Patrol." He huffed quietly, shaking his head at the thought of them finally setting time aside for each other. Stretching his arms, he let out a long yawn. "Welp, since we still have plenty of time before we get close to Thariin, I guess I can answer any questions you have."

"Good! I only have about a hundred!"

"Wanna sit in for this, Ukiah?"

Ukiah let a wry smile grow on his face. "Depends. Are you going to tell her about…"

"Yup! The whole nine-yards!"

"The…what?" Lydia asked, even more confused with the saying.

"Nine-yards. It's a term used by…uh…how do I say this…soldiers from where I came from. Specifically called pilots. They had nine yards of projectiles and would empty everything they had into one target."

"I…see…" She replied, even more confused with the explanation.

"I guess I better sit in on this. I want to see her face when you tell her." Ukiah replied, taking a seat next to the railing. Letting Arrow curl up in his lap, he smiled as Lydia just stared at Matt with a blank expression.

"Alright…so! Here we go!" Matt laughed, taking a seat next to Ukiah. Rubbing his hands excitedly, he laughed as Lydia also took a seat. "As you know, my name is Matthew Haddock, and this is how I became the Dragon Boarder."

* * *

"There you go, girl." Heather replied, pushing the doors open wider for Windshear, Lasher, and Wasatch.

The three dragons quickly ran out onto the deck, scaring a couple of the soldiers and sailors. Lasher instantly began to search for Ukiah, given he was also curious as to where Arrow was. Wasatch roared happily, finally able to stretch his wings out. Without a second thought, he launched into the air to leave Heather and Windshear behind.

"Well, there he goes. Think he'll be back before sundown?" Heather asked Windshear.

Windshear smiled as she nudged her Rider. Rubbing against her, she was taken off guard as a hand gently rested itself on her back. Whirling around, she softly growled at the stranger.

"Oh! Prince Auger!" Heather replied, shocked to see him standing there. "Sorry about letting the dragons out. I figured they were ready to get out."

"No worries! Our ship is your ship! Do what you need to in order to be comfortable." He replied with a soft smile. The massive, silver chest plate glistened in the sun. The leather straps dangling from his waist were scorched and cracked with the sun, though it added a bit of character to the armor. His blonde hair rivaled Astrid's in color, though his beard seemed to be more scraggily than what would have otherwise been for a prince.

"Well, thanks for tolerating us. Especially…" Heather began to say, slowly turning to face a direction.

Turing to see where she was looking at, he let a small frown grow on his face. The twins and Fishlegs were arguing with each other, about something that probably didn't matter. "Yes, well…we all have those few people that entertain us while on long trips such as this."

"Be careful what you say. They might take you literally with that and try to be entertaining." She laughed, returning her attention to Windshear. Stroking her neck, she asked "Have you been on trips this long before?"

"Aside from coming to help invade Berk? No. Not really." He answered, gazing at Windshear with wonder in his eyes. "I tended to stay home to govern my people while my dad dealt with the foreign affairs."

"So you're training to be king?"

"A ruler isn't made with a passing of a crown. It's something they strive to become every day they live." He began to say. "I just hope to be half the man my father is."

"He seems very kind and dedicated."

"Very much so; but that's enough about me. What kind of dragon is this? I've never seen anything like it before."

Smiling, Heather looked straight into Windshear's eyes. "This is Windshear. She's a Razorwhip. I found her injured when she was barely a year old. I helped her recover and she never left my side since then."

"She's must be very lucky to have met you." He commented, smiling at Heather.

"I guess. I feel the same way with her. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't had her in my life." She continued to say. "To be fair, that's probably how all of us feel about our dragons. And our dragons towards us."

"I was told you're not a Berkian, but a Berserker. How did you-"

"Learn to train a dragon?" She finished, looking at him with a kind smile. "I happened to have met Hiccup and the others a few years ago. After…an adventure we had, they trusted me enough with their secrets. We didn't meet back until a little longer than a year ago. Since then it's been nothing but an adventure."

"I assume that is when you met Matt then. When you met Hiccup and those you call friends."

"Not really. We've only met each other recently."

Auger's heart skipped a beat, not believing the news he was hearing. Perhaps there was a chance after all.

"It was a little tense when we first met." She continued to explain, recalling the moment she first met Matt, when he was trying to free Hiccup and Astrid from Dagur. He ended up getting caught himself, by Windshear. Shaking her head so slightly in disbelief, her smile widened as she added "Since then, we've become really good friends…but I'm sure that's not what you want to hear about when you asked about Windshear."

"I don't mind listening. It's not like I have much to do while we travel." He replied, gesturing for her to walk with him. "How about a quick walk? Though I know you can simply ride to get off this tub, a walk seems to help rejuvenate me when I'm feeling tired and lazy."

"Uh…sure." She agreed, thinking that it would help break up the long wait for Thariin.

"What kind of adventures have you been on?" He asked, furthering the conversation along.

Heather laughed, shaking her head at the question. "Even with the long trip, I don't know if I have time to tell you all about what we did."

"Then how about you're most memorable?"

"Hmm…I'll have to think…I guess the most memorable was when I officially became a Dragon Rider."

"What do you mean, officially?"

"Well, I had trained Windshear a while ago. Maybe two years ago? Maybe a little longer. However, during that time, I was on my own. I'd argue that I was a rogue. I did things my way."

"What changed?" He asked, moving out of the way for a sailor.

Blushing a little bit, she looked down and quietly said "At first, it was the fact that I was alone. It was nice to be with others that cared about me. But the reason why I stayed as long as I did, was because of Matt."

Again, Auger's face fell. He had hoped that it whatever was between her and Matt was nothing serious. But his hope was fading fast as she continued to tell her story.

"He did a lot of things for me…heh, and I guess to me."

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"When we first met, we had axes and knives at each other's throats. I did some things that made him not trust me, and he just annoyed me with his sense of humor and general laid back attitude he has."

"How did you go from being enemies to being friends? Don't you worry he still feels the same way he did?"

"No. I don't." She quickly replied, slightly frowning at the accusation. "He was right to not trust me, since I betrayed Hiccup and Astrid at one point. However, while I was regaining their trust, I was captured with Hiccup. And the one person who assumed leader of the Riders while Hiccup was missing, was Matt. Who went way out of his way to help me. To save me."

Arriving at the bow of the ship, Auger stopped to face her, hanging onto every word, and wishing he was in a position to 'save' her.

"In the end of that little episode, we both knew that we could trust each other. We became friends."

"But something changed that, huh?"

"After…another round of adventures, including both of us being held captive by Darien and her Hunter friends, we ran into Strogg. Well, Matt ran into him."

Auger went quiet, knowing this was something he could relate to.

"He…kidnapped Astrid, and was going to keep her as a trophy; though to be honest, we thought he was willing to negotiate for her. Matt went with the ransom and…"

Auger noticed her choke a little bit.

"…he never came back."

"What do you mean, never came back?"

"Strogg almost killed him. He cracked open his skull and left him in the ocean. If you look at his left eye, you'll see a scar going from it and up his head. Ukiah was the one that found him and saved him."

"Lucky man." He commented, leaning against the railing while listening to her tale.

"Had I known, I wouldn't have been as worried. But the moment I was sure Matt was dead…I felt…"

"Alone?"

"Dead myself." She whispered, looking at him with misting eyes. "He was everything to me, and I didn't realize it. We cared about each other before, and even had a couple of dates; but…never have I felt so empty before. Even after losing my parents. Matt was someone that didn't just care about me, he was someone that…lived for me. I'm not sure if that makes sense."

"I can tell what you mean." Auger replied quietly.

"Thank the gods, I was wrong. He was still alive! And because of that experience, we both felt that we were ready to be more than friends."

Auger shallowly nodded his head, saddened to hear her say that.

"He's already done a lot for me, but when he decided to leave Berk and being a regular Dragon Rider with Hiccup, all in order to stay with me at my home; I knew that he was committed." Turning to look at where Matt was sitting, still talking with Lydia and Ukiah, which Lydia looked like she was in a stupor, she smiled as she commented. "I only hope that he feels the same way about me. I hope he knows that about me."

Finally accepting that he would never be able to sway her from Matt, Auger looked down at the deck. "He's a lucky person to have someone as beautiful as you, Heather. I only wish I was able to meet you sooner."

Gasping, she whirled around and stared at him.

"I now understand how you feel about Matt." He continued to say with a hurt smile. "I hope you'll at least view me as a friend as you have my sister Lydia."

"Uh…yeah, of course." She stammered, shocked at the sudden turn of the conversation. "I just…I uh…"

"Forget about it. I'm just glad you and your friends agreed to come along with us to stop Zekir and Darien."

"Well, if Matt had his way, Darien would have been killed when he dueled her." She quickly replied, trying to put away the awkwardness.

"What happened between their duel anyways?" He quizzed, wanting to help her move past his quiet confession to her.

Sighing, Heather shook her head. "I don't really know. I was passed out, since I was taken prisoner by her. Zekir had bought me as a slave at the time too."

A vein in Auger's neck bulged out as he stared at her in disbelief.

"I'll tell you from what Matt told me though, if you have the time."

"Considering we're all stuck on this tub of a ship, I have all the time in the world." He replied. "Now, tell me from the beginning. How did Zekir purchase you as a slave, and how did you escape?"

Leaning against the railing, Heather let a small smile grow on her face. "Well, I'll have to back up a little bit. You see, it all started with my brother, who was actually an evil man when I first met him…"

* * *

"I'm not asking if they are or aren't invading us, I'm asking if we can win should they choose to!" Zekir growled, staring at a map with narrowed eyes.

"My chief, we both saw the size of Bruvos' army. I'm willing to say he sustained minimal loss during the fight." Ugo began to report. "If they do invade us, we'll only have half our fleet to stop them, and half our men to defend the shores. The odds are in their favor."

Slowly reaching for a knife that was resting on a table nearby, Zekir raised it to the map. Letting the tip rest on the speck labeled Berk, he growled "I can't believe I failed. I had victory in my hands! Oh, you better pray I make Lydia's death quick, Bruvos. I'm going to make her suffer for every man I lost thanks to your treason…"

Ugo looked down at the deck, thinking to himself on how he should have been more adamant about not invading Berk.

"Ragh!" Zekir shouted to vent his frustration bottled up inside of him. Slashing the map, he sliced a clean cut with the knife all the way down, effectively destroying the map. "Set the sails to carry us away from the fleet. We'll go prepare while the rest return home. I will not lose to Bruvos without costing him as many of his men's lives as I can."

Ugo bowed in acknowledgement, to which he turned to leave his brooding leader. Opening the door, he was shocked to see Darien and Banshee standing there. "Ah, Miss Darien! How long have you been standing there?"

Zekir whirled around at the sound of Darien's name, confused and anxious to see her.

"Long enough to hear most of the conversation." She replied, stepping through the door. "May I speak with the Black Heart alone, Ugo?"

"Of course, I was just leaving." He replied, stepping aside for Banshee to walk through. At that, he walked out and shut the door behind him.

Standing in the mixture of a lantern's light, and Banshee's glow, Darien looked at Zekir with worry.

"Ah, don't worry about me, Darien." He replied, perceiving her thoughts. "You have your own problems to worry about."

"The most important one being you." She quickly pointed out. Walking over to a table, she sat down on it as she continued to look worried about something.

Sighing, Zekir took a seat with her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"They're going to come for you, you know that right?" She whispered hoarsely.

"And you as well."

"Yes, but only Matt really wants me dead. The other Dragon Riders would be content with me rotting in a cell."

"Which I won't let happen."

"It can happen if you let yourself be killed by them."

Zekir frowned, not liking where the conversation was taking place.

"Listen, if Berk is teaming up with Bruvos and his men, then Thariin has no chance. You will lose. Even if it's just the Riders that come, that's more than enough to tip the scale in their favor. You'll be killed by the end of the month."

"There are worse things than death." He calmly replied.

"You think death is the only thing you'll suffer?" She challenged. "What you did to Ukiah ensured he's going to make you pay for taking his dragon and his arm. What about Bruvos? His son Auger? There has to be a reason why they betrayed you, even with your threat over Lydia."

"Who will not be spared when she is returned to Thariin." He growled, narrowing his eyes at the thought.

"Zekir, please listen to me." Darien began to plead. "I…I have an idea. One that I know you're not going to like."

"I'm not letting you fly against the Riders. Or strike at Bruvos' fleet by yourself." He quickly snapped.

"It's nothing like that." She quietly replied.

"Darien, I chose this lifestyle. I chose to do those things to those that want me dead. Who am I if I ignore the consequences of my decisions? I can't be the Black Heart if I run away from them. Either I overcome, or I perish pursuing what sought for."

"What about me? Am I simply a trophy? Or someone worth pursuing after?"

Taken back by the question, he scoffed loudly at it. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you worth pursuing? You're everything to me! I can't even begin to show you how much you mean to me, because I only have so much gold and luxuries to offer rather than what I want to give you!"

"I don't want gold or luxuries. You should know that by now." She quietly whispered. "I want you. I want you to be with me."

Zekir frowned, seeing what she was asking him. Sighing, he reached for his longsword and a cloth on the table. Wiping down the blade, he stared at Banshee's reflection on the glistening metal. "Nothing else will suffice?"

Darien slowly shook her head. Resting her hand on his, stopping him from wiping his already clean sword, she whispered "Nothing else can compare to you. I didn't realize how much I cared about you, until I saw that we were going to be overrun by the Riders and other ships. That's why I risked my life to give us a chance to escape."

Staring down at his longsword, watching the light from Banshee dance off of it, he quietly asked "What do you want then, Darien? I promise I'll give it to you."

"I want Matt's head. I want to end him myself." She began to say, resting her hand on his knee and making him look her in the eye. "But I can't do that now. I need to practice more on Banshee. And I don't have enough time if I stay with you at Thariin."

"You want to go somewhere to train…" He summed up, nodding in agreement.

"And I want you to hear me out with my plan. Please. It'll guarantee us the time we need before we can strike back at the Riders, and you'll be able to reobtain your position as chief. After all, you can't be the only one sacrificing for our relationship. I want to help you, but we have to both stick to this plan. It'll only work if we do it together. "

Zekir turned to her, looking at her in the eyes. Seeing her determination, he finally let out a long sigh. "Alright. I promise to hear you out. And if I agree, I'll be a hundred percent committed. However, I'm saying this right now; we will return to Thariin first, and then we'll go with whatever you came up with."

"Thank you." She whispered, wrapping an arm around him. Pulling him closer, she pecked him on the cheek. "First off, we're going to need to fill Ugo in with what we're doing; and one of your half-brothers if you have any left."

* * *

 _ **Sorry for the long wait in regards to updates. I've been...uh...slammed. With work and school. I'll try to post a chapter ASAP, but one of my classes has a test or tax return due every other week. So...sorry! Hope you enjoy the set up, and hopefully the journey along the way. I'm really excited to finish this Act and bring stuff to a closure.**_


	8. Chapter 8: Plans in Action

**Chapter Eight: Plans in Action**

* * *

"My God…I wish I brought a wakeboard or something!" Matt groaned loudly, arching his back in the hammock that was his bed since the beginning of the journey. Now only a few days away from Thariin, the large ship was getting smaller and smaller with every passing minute.

"Not that you could do much anyways." Hiccup replied with an uncaring tone. Also lying in his hammock, he was reading a book that Bruvos had lent him and flipped a page to show he didn't care about Matt's rant. "It's been raining the last few days. With no sign of letting up."

"Heh, reminds me of when we first came to Thariin." Astrid spoke up, rubbing a stone against her axe for the millionth time during the trip. "I swear Hiccup was seasick the last week of our journey."

"Was that when you first met Ukiah?" Heather asked looking away from the window she was staring out of.

Hiccup shut his book. Swinging his legs over, he smiled as he nodded. "Yeah, sure was. What were you doing the few days before we met you, Ukiah?"

Everyone turned to look at Ukiah, who was wasting the time away by playing with Arrow. For being only a month and a couple weeks old, he was already getting bigger. Running around Ukiah, who was sitting cross legged on the floor of the Rider's room, he was twice the size he was when he first hatched.

"Getting used to Arrow." He whispered, his eyes misting slightly. "He showed himself to me when I first arrived home after I tried hunting him. Heh, instead he had the opportunity to kill me."

Everyone looked down, sorry that they stirred up the memory of the former Arrow.

"But, I'd do it all over again." He said aloud, putting everyone's nerves at ease. "Finding him, going to Thariin, fighting in the arena, and escaping with you guys."

"Taking a blade to the chest?" Snotlout added, making everyone turn to glare at him.

"Even that." He replied, knowing that it was just who Snotlout was. "The only thing I'd change is how I reacted when I learned Strogg was still alive; and when Hiccup said he wouldn't help me."

"Hey, it all worked out in the end." Astrid interrupted, standing up and walking over to Ukiah. Kneeling down next to him, she let Arrow bite down on the handle of her axe. Playing tug-of-war with him, she smiled as she fought against the dragon's pull. "We all got it ironed out in the end. Even if I was a little bit of a mutton head…"

"Well, whatever happens, I have no regrets." Ukiah added, looking at Astrid with a warm smile.

"Hiccup?" A voice called out, with the door to their room opening up.

"Lydia! Come on in!" Hiccup called out.

As the door opened, everyone was surprised to see Bruvos and Auger with her. Snotlout, being less than subtle, jumped out of his hammock and walked up to Lydia.

"Hey babe, wanted to see how I was doing?"

"You were part of the reason why I came down here…but no, I didn't want to see what or how you were doing." She growled. Rolling her eyes, she purposely placed herself next to Ukiah.

"King Bruvos, is there anything we can help you with?" Hiccup called out, stepping up their friend and ally.

"Possibly, we just wanted to check on you all, as well as discuss a possible strategy." He replied, smiling at Hiccup. "I hope the rain hasn't been too hard on you all with keeping you inside."

"Some more than others." Hiccup laughed, gesturing to Matt who continued to lie in his hammock.

"…rrrraagGGGHH!" He wailed, arching his back and pulling his hair in agonizing frustration. "Seriously! I should have brought my wakeboard!"

"He'll be fine." Hiccup quickly added, shaking his head at Matt's misery.

"Well, Auger and I were counseling with each other about how we should start the invasion, and we came up with an idea that we want to talk with you about."

Hiccup instantly perked up, seeing they were here for important issues. Matt too also sat up, trying to get out of his hammock.

"We still have a quarter of our forces at our kingdom." Bruvos began to say. "If we had a way to get them to attack the backside of Thariin, we can flank their already thin forces and increase our chances of getting into their village."

"I assume you're talking about having a Rider go inform your men." Ukiah spoke up, standing up from his position.

"Exactly. If one of you could bring Auger to our home, he can lead those forces from behind. If we have two of your Riders with them, then they'll be more than just a force to reckon with."

Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me. We can send the twins and Snotlout. They have the most experience-"

"On the battlefield?" Auger interrupted.

"Uh…more so doing anything that involves being destructive. They have a special skill with dismantling things." He admitted. "They'd be great for helping break holes in walls and any defenses your men would have to get through."

"Which leads me to a second request." Bruvos continued to say. "Zekir will have a few days of a head start on us in preparing for an invastion. We have no idea what his defenses look like."

Matt instantly picked up on what the 'request' was going to be. "So send us ahead to get an idea of what we're up against, and then come back and report."

"That is exactly what we were hoping for."

"Welp! You know what I'm ready to do!" Matt said loudly, stretching his arms as he limped towards his gear. "Anything to get off this ship!"

"I agree, this would be a great idea to find any sort of weakness we could exploit." Hiccup muttered, stroking his chin in contemplation. "If anything, for Auger and his forces since they'll be coming from behind."

Ukiah then rested his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Even if it's been years, I'm willing to bet that I know those forests nearby better than most soldiers in Thariin. We can stay at my old cave while some of us scout out the actual village. We'll at least have some sort of shelter there."

"Your cave?" Auger asked, looking at Ukiah with curiosity.

"Before I was adopted, I lived near Thariin. In a forest called Fallis Woods." He explained "I was a hunter there most my life. In fact, it was my home until I was seventeen. That was when I ran into Hiccup and Astrid."

"I'll leave the choice with you." Bruvos replied. "You are allies to us, so I don't want to order you around as if you were my own men."

"No, I agree that it's a good idea. We'll go scout out Thariin and let Auger go gather the rest of your forces. We'll leave within the hour."

"Oh, sweet release…" Matt whispered, acting as if he was granted freedom from a jail cell.

"Dad, I want to go with them." Lydia asked, stepping up as she became the center of attention. "I've gotten a lot better with an axe, and it'd be nice to stretch the legs before the actual fight."

Bruvos was quick to reply. "No, you're going with Auger and staying home."

"That's not fair!" She cried out angrily.

"Don't you worry your Highness. I'm the best qualified in escorting royalty." Snotlout quickly cut in, smiling from ear to ear.

"Dad! I want to help! If you fail taking down Zekir, he'll just come for our home! I want to help fight!" She continued to shout. "Please! Don't do this to me!"

Bruvos was about to say no again, when Auger stepped in between him and her. "Dad, let her go with them."

Both Bruvos and Lydia stared at him in shock, though more so with Lydia.

"You told me yourself, she hasn't seen the world like I have. So, let her. The reason why I am who I am is because you trusted me enough to learn. Well, let her learn. Besides, we both trust the Riders that they'll protect her as if she was one of their own." Turning to look at Ukiah, he added "In some ways, they already have."

Sighing, Bruvos turned to Hiccup and asked "If you will allow her to come, I'll let her go with you."

Hiccup instantly began to nod fervently. "Of course! We'd be more than happy to have her ride along with us!" Turning to Ukiah, he then announced their plan. "We'll go to your cave first. There, we'll strategize on how we want to scout Thariin. Snotlout and the twins will continue on to take Auger to get his men. Got it?"

"Let's just hurry so we can get off of this ship!" Matt huffed in annoyance, flipping open his knife to test the edge of the blade.

"I'll pack some supplies for us to take." Heather called out, walking up to Auger. "Any chance you can lead me to the ship's storeroom?"

"Right this way." He answered with a smile. Turning to Lydia, he then instructed "Pack light. Only the necessities you know you'll need."

"Sure, I'll be the first one ready!" She replied excitedly, turning to run out of the room.

As everyone began to pack their things, Bruvos walked up to Ukiah. Seeing him stand next to him, Ukiah stepped back from everyone so they could have some privacy.

"Ukiah, I know you're here for a single purpose; and I'm not going to ask you to forget that, or to place other things in front of your goal."

Not saying anything, Ukiah simply stood there and continued to listen to him.

"All I ask, is that you watch over my daughter. She's willing, but is inexperienced. Will you do everything you can to ensure her safety?"

Slowly nodding, Ukiah agreed to the request. "I will. Though I'm unsure why you're asking me and not Hiccup."

"I have my reasons. If I didn't feel you were the best one to talk to about it, I wouldn't have done so."

"Fair enough." He huffed, kneeling down and grabbing his sword. Slinging the sheath over his head so it was hanging on his back, he then began to move onto his quiver of bolts. "I will do everything in my power to teach her. Survival will be up to her, but I will help her if she needs it."

"Thank you. And may Odin bless your travels to be smooth." Bruvos whispered, turning to leave the Dragon Riders. Stopping at the door, he turned to look at Ukiah one more time. Watching him strap his unique crossbow to his chest with a series of straps, he let a small crack of a smile grow on his face; to which he turned and left the Riders alone.

* * *

Several hours later, getting towards nightfall; the overcast skies never cleared up, which was a relief to some of the riders. The darker it got, the better the chance was they wouldn't be spotted by a scout ship, or patrolling fleet. Everyone kept their eyes forward, waiting for any sign of land. Well, almost everyone.

"Hiccup! Hiccup!" Snotlout shouted. "Stop ignoring me! I know you can hear me!"

"That's the problem, Snotlout. We all can hear you." Astrid groaned, shaking her head in annoyance.

"Errggh…yes, Snotlout?" Hiccup finally replied, finally giving up on ignoring him.

"Why do I have to go with the twidiots and no-fun, all-serious prince Auger, when I should clearly be the one staying and escorting the royalty that matters?!"

"Ugh!" Lydia groaned, hitting her head against Ukiah's chainmail.

Auger then hit Snotlout in the head, making his helmet spin. "I'm right behind you, Rider…"

"I know! I wanted you to hear it!"

"You should know, Snotlout." Lydia began to say. "Auger's the only one here that's in position to actually reward and act as ruler of Gorthurk. If you're looking for treasure, accolades, and recognition; I suggest you start trying to impress him!"

"Or I can have you executed when we arrive at my kingdom." Auger added, growling menacingly at him.

"Don't get our hopes up." Astrid huffed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Turning she smiled as she saw two specific dragons lag behind the group. Wasatch and Windshear. Wasatch was having fun, rolling, carving, and looping around in the air. All while Windshear was doing her own set of tricks with him.

Matt then let Wasatch surge ahead of the group, lining himself up with Ukiah. "Man, it feels good to fly…"

"Really? We couldn't tell." Ruffnut huffed sarcastically. "If I remember right, we were yelled at when we were doing our own tricks. How come you get to?"

"Because Wasatch gets excited." Matt replied with a wide smile. Pulling down his goggles, he then pointed up at the sky. "And when he gets excited, lightning starts to form in the area he's playing in. So if you're a ship, and you see lightning in the distance, what do you do?"

"Uh, sail right into it! Duh!" She replied with a wide smile.

"Right, forgot who I was talking to…" He moaned, shaking his head. "What would normal people do, seeing lighting?"

"Sail away from it." Fishlegs commented, seeing the reason.

"Exactly. So me playing around, getting Wasatch all excited, is actually helping us not be spotted! All you two would do is create an explosion so big, it'd be a signal flare to everyone."

"Ooh. Sounds like a challenge!" Ruffnut replied with a wide smile. "What say you brother?"

"Way ahead of you sis! We just need ships full of Monstrous Nightmare gel, and-"

"We're here." Ukiah interrupted, pointing up ahead. "Fallis Woods lies west of Thariin. They're a good six hour hike from each other, since I'm assuming you don't want to fly close to the village."

"Think we'll find your cave in the dark?" Astrid asked, peering ahead with the dimming light.

"I know this area. I had to in order to survive. Let's just fly along the coast and I'll recognize it." He replied, letting Lasher glide lower.

Following his lead, the gang flew closer to each other and lower to the sea, banking slightly to start following the shoreline. Cliffs projected out of parts of the beach, creating a scene that almost looked cinematic to Matt. There were sea stacks that were littered in the ocean as well, though not half as big as the ones everyone else was familiar with.

Ukiah then began to slow down, pointing at a nearby cliff. "There. It's right there."

Everyone slowed to a hover, staring at what was Ukiah's humble home. A single cave was visible in the cliff, with a natural pathway that led to the forest behind. It even looked like a steep trail led from the cave down to the beach, which zigzagged down the cliff face.

"Tread lightly. I don't know what could've taken residence since I've been gone." He said aloud, using his single arm to ready his crossbow.

"We're right behind you." Heather whispered, readying her axe as well.

Stopping just outside the cave, Ukiah slid off of Lasher and calmly walked in. Lydia, who stayed on Lasher, held onto Arrow, who wanted to follow him. Both Heather and Astrid slid off and followed him, with Matt and Hiccup landing atop of the cave.

"Astrid, take this." Hiccup called out, dropping his sword down to her.

Catching it by the handle, she smiled as she let the sword light up with fire. Using it as a torch, she and Heather stepped in and observed what were the remains of Ukiah's home.

Scattered pots littered the ground, with a few that were broken or shattered. On top of that, dust had gathered everywhere, adding to the age of everything. In the center of the cave were the remains of a fire pit, with a rusted iron skillet tipped over next to it. Old pelts and cracked leather were folded up and stacked neatly in the back of the cave. Ukiah himself was staring at a specific spot in the cave, his face dark and solemn in the torches' flickering light.

"All clear?" Matt asked, walking in behind.

"Yeah, all clear." Ukiah whispered, shaking his head to bring him out of whatever trance he was in. "Where's Auger?"

Matt turned and pointed to Hookfang, who was still hovering outside of the cave.

Stepping past everyone, Ukiah looked up at the prince and asked "Do you want to stay the night? Or are you going to head right away?"

"I'd like to leave now. If we go all night, we should arrive by morning. Then my men and I will be ready to strike when my father arrives with the fleet."

"Twins, Snotlout, you heard him." Hiccup began to instruct. "Get him home, and then help them with whatever he needs. I'm counting on you."

"Right. Just help the guy that threated to execute me minutes ago!" Snotlout huffed angrily.

"The threat still stands." Auger growled.

"Be careful, Auger." Lydia called out, finally sliding off Lasher. "I want to see you after the battle."

"I will, Lydia. You too. Just listen to the Riders. They know what they're doing." He counseled, looking at his sister with a confident expression.

"Alright, get going! We'll see you guys in a couple of days!" Hiccup shouted, gesturing for them to leave.

With a streamflow of complaints, Snotlout began to surge ahead, with the twins following close behind.

"Alright, with that taken care of, let's start making our plan in regards to scouting out Thariin." Hiccup began to say, finally able to see the cave for the first time.

As everyone began to make themselves comfortable, dragons included, Ukiah went to the back of the cave and came back with an armful of wood.

"Old, but still useable." He huffed, stacking it in the center fire pit. "I'm actually surprised half the stuff I left here is still intact." At that, he pointed at the wood, to which Lasher let out a small flame and let the fire start roaring.

"Hey, look at Arrow!" Lydia pointed out, smiling as she watched the Sand Wraith begin to dig into the ground.

Everyone smiled as they watched him roll in the dirt, growling happily. All except Ukiah.

Seeing him, Heather stared at him in concern. "What's wrong, Ukiah?"

Everyone turned to see him with a solemn expression. Confused, they simply sat in their respected spots and waited for him to explain.

"Tha…that was Arrow's favorite spot." He whispered with a hoarse voice. Walking over to Arrow, he sat down in the dirt and began to stroke the baby Sand Wraith. "When we first met, this was where he slept. He'd dig in the dirt and bury himself a little bit every time he would sleep."

Everyone remained silent, understanding what he was recalling. They should have expected him to have recollections of him and Arrow when they decided to come here.

Finally, letting a small smile grow on his face, Ukiah scooped up a handful of dirt and began to slowly drizzle it on Arrow, who was snuggling into a ball as he did so. "This just reinforces that Arrow is back in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve this gift from the gods, but I'm sure grateful."

Glad that he wasn't bitter, or depressed, everyone began to relax. Fishlegs had taken a spot in the back of the cave with Meatlug, while Hiccup and Astrid were sitting on some rocks along the side of the cave. Toothless and Stormfly had laid themselves out at their feet, resting from the long flight they had. Matt and Heather were sitting on the ground near the entrance of the cave, with Windshear lying next to them. Wasatch was content sleeping outside of the cave, as he enjoyed the overcast weather and random lighting strikes in the distance.

Lydia, unsure of where to sit, decided to stay next to Lasher, who was more than okay with that. Laying in a semicircle with Lydia leaning against him, Lasher unraveled the braid of his tails and let one of them rest in her lap. Growling, he then nuzzled against her, given that she was usually with Ukiah and inadvertently, with him.

"So, before we drift off into the inevitable sleep, what should we do about scouting tomorrow?" Matt asked, stretching his arms and letting out a long yawn. In a smooth motion, he dropped his arm around Heather, pulling her closer to him.

"Again, smooth." She teased, smirking at him.

"Every now and then, I get lucky!" He laughed.

Smiling, Hiccup then began to assess what they needed to do. "Well, Ukiah needs to come with us regardless. He's the only one that knows how to get to Thariin on foot."

"Agreed." Ukiah replied, taking out his dagger and a small stone. Placing the whetstone in between his legs, he began to sharpen the blade and simply sat there to listen. His single arm wasn't going to stop him from taking care of his equipment.

"I don't think me going near Thariin is a good idea." Lydia began to say, folding her arms and staring at the fire with a concerned look. "People would recognize me and bring unwanted attention. If Zekir knows I'm there, I'd be either killed or captured faster than I can say help."

"So Lydia should stay." Matt summed up, agreeing with her.

"That might be good. We can't and shouldn't take our dragons near Thariin." Hiccup added, also agreeing with the idea.

"How are we going to scout it?" Astrid asked. "Are we just going along the walls of the city? Or are we going to try and get in?"

"I'd say if we get inside, we'd get a better idea of what's going on." Hiccup replied. "I don't think guards or other people would make the connection that we're from Berk. Or that we're Dragon Riders."

"Except me." Matt called out, looking a little concerned about something.

"What do you mean, except you?" Heather asked in confusion.

"Look at me. I'm wearing clothes that no one's seen before." He explained. Brushing some dirt off his snowboard pants, he looked at them with a sheepish smile. "I'd draw unwanted attention like a moth to a light. I mean, I could hide my goggles, but that's not quite what worries me."

Hiccup looked at him, seeing exactly what he meant. His snowboard pants were only part of the problem. His boots, even his jacket was enough to make him noticeably different from anyone else. Even the way he acts would make him interesting to even strangers.

"We can get something for you to change into." Heather suggested hopefully. "I mean, Thariin is supposed to be a hub for traders, right?"

"No. I don't think that's a good idea." Hiccup replied. "Apart from us wanting to be there for as long as we need, if we have any bigger group, we'll be watched."

"Smaller the better?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow. "I can stay here and watch the dragons. If we want to keep them away from any prying eyes, then maybe it'd be best that I stay here just to keep it that way."

"What if we keep it as me, you, Fishlegs, and Heather?" Astrid then added, turning to Hiccup. "Lydia can stay with Matt, while Ukiah waits for us outside the village?"

"That might be better." Ukiah finally added. "If you go two at a time. Or at least different intervals, no one will suspect you're together. Even the guards at the gates. If we really wanted, you could all enter into different gates."

"Sounds like we have a plan!" Astrid replied with a smile.

"I guess…" Heather whispered, looking a little depressed over the idea that Matt wasn't coming.

"Tell you what, we stop Zekir and Darien, we can check out the village together after." Matt consoled, smiling at her frowning face.

"…sure…" She huffed, shaking her head with a growing smile she tried to fight.

Lydia, though a little hesitantly, turned to Ukiah. "Can I come with you? At least, in guiding the others to Thariin?"

A little surprised by the request, Ukiah thought about it. "I don't see why not, though it'll be more boring than staying here with Matt and the dragons."

"I don't mind. If anything, it'll teach me patience when it comes to hunting."

"I'll be able to handle the dragons. Meatlug, Toothless and Windshear are chill enough that I only have to worry about entertaining Stormfly and Wasatch." Matt added, agreeing with her that she should go.

"Then it's settled. We'll all leave tomorrow and then Fishlegs, Heather, Astrid and I will check out the village to see what kind of defenses they have." Hiccup announced, smiling at the task which they set up.

"Better get some rest then. It's a long hike and we'll have to leave early if we want to get there at a reasonable time." Ukiah called out, letting Arrow burrow in his lap.

"Fair enough. See you guys in the morning." Matt yawned, pulling Heather down with him. Windshear then used one of her wings to cover them, giving them something of a blanket.

Stormfly did the same for Hiccup and Astrid, while Toothless gave them something to lean against.

Lasher had no problem sleeping with Lydia, to which he also used his wing to keep her warm.

Fishlegs had procured an old bear pelt, and after shaking the dirt and dust off, used it as his and Meatlug's blanket.

Ukiah watched his friends slowly drift into sleep, one by one. He never imagined them being here, in his old home. He never imagined himself returning here! Looking around, he let a small smile grow on his face. He did miss it. The life he once had. Hunting every day, surviving in the wilderness, being dependent entirely on himself. It all made him long for the life he used to have. Then, looking down at Arrow, silently scolded himself. How could he forget all he went through? The moments that defined him? That made him who he was?

Watching Arrow sleep in his lap, he couldn't help but remember the blessing he was given. Another chance to have Arrow in his life. "I'll make sure you stay safe, friend." He whispered, stroking the Sand Wraith's little spikes. "I promise…"

* * *

"It seems…cowardly." Zekir huffed, walking down the hallway with Darien. "I'm not sure if this idea is better than dying."

"You fight too much with honor, Zekir." She replied with a nonchalant tone. "I fight to win. And if that means going with our plan, then I'll do it."

Zekir sighed, shaking his head. "My people will disown me. They'll be ashamed of me."

"Not if this plan works."

"No, Darien. Legacies aren't simply rebuilt or repaired. They're redefined. It'll never be the same here."

"If you feel that you need to stay and fight a losing battle, then I won't stop you with that." She replied with a hint of frustration. "But the only way we can exact revenge on the Riders, is if we both agree to this!"

"I already told you, Darien; I'm choosing to stay with you. I'm going with your plan." He explained. "I just…I'm giving up everything I worked for."

"For something more. Imagine what people will do when they see you mount every Dragon Rider's head on a spike? Or when you walk through Bruvos' walls and end him and his son? People will flock to you. You will build something grander than Thariin."

Sighing, Zekir nodded in agreement. "To be fair, I feel like I'm being idle in my passions right now. Perhaps this will force me to grow stronger and adapt to a harsher world. It's wrong for anyone to be content with life."

"You know, I chose this lifestyle myself. And by the time I'm done being in charge, it'll be grander than any position that could ever be offered!"

"I do not doubt you on your claim." He replied with a small smile. Gesturing to a door, he explained "Ugo found a half-brother to me. My father, Strogg, was far more…sexually active than we both realized.

Stopping at the door, she looked at him with a little concern. "What did Ugo think when you told him what we were doing?"

"He was against it, as I was originally." He admitted. "But, he agreed to help with it. Though he made no promise that he'd be with us during our part."

"I figured as much…" She whispered. "Well, my men are ready. All we have to do is ensure that Ugo and you're half-brother do their jobs."

"Let's find out then, shall we?" He replied with a confident smile. At that, he opened the door to reveal Ugo standing in the corner of the room, with a nervous looking kid, maybe a little older than Zekir, pacing around nervously.

"Ch-chief Zekir!" He stammered, seeing him walk into the room. "I-I-I never challenged you! I never wanted the position of Chief! Why are you keeping me here?!" He had similar color of hair as Zekir, being a dirty blonde, though he had no facial hair. It was also tied in a long pony tail, being different from Zekir's usually short hair. In short, there were similarities between the two, but it wasn't blatantly obvious they were half-brothers.

"He doesn't believe me that you have no ill-intentions." Ugo huffed in annoyance, obviously tired of babysitting him.

"I assure you if I wanted to put you down, I'd have you brought to the arena instead." Zekir assured, gesturing to a table with wine and fruit set on it. "Please sit down. I only wish to discuss an item of business that we can both greatly benefit from."

Still unsure, the guest watched as both Zekir, and the girl with him, sat down at the table. Reluctantly, he did the same.

"Now, as you know, I'm Zekir." He began to introduce. "With me is Darien the Snake. Leader of the Dragon Hunters."

"I don't remember having a title." She replied in surprise with what he called her.

"It matches you. You're cunning and lethal. I hope you don't mind me calling you by that." He replied with a smile.

"I actually like it." She affirmed, letting a small smile grow on his face.

"Uh-uh…pleasure." The apparent brother greeted nervously, trying to keep himself from shaking.

"What is your name?"

"G-Gabor, sir…"

"Gabor? It's nice to meet someone related to me. One that doesn't want to slit my throat at least."

"Oh, trust me! I have no intention of that, Black Heart!"

"I'm aware. What do you do for your trade?" At that, he picked up an apple from a silver plate and took a bite, sitting back in his chair in a relaxed position.

"I'm an artisan. I craft mainly wooden furniture; though with the possible war, I've been helping construct catapults and battle staves."

"Really? I might have to place an order with you." Darien commented, also helping herself to some of the drink. "I've always wanted to have a legit staff."

"Legit?" Gabor repeated, trying to figure out what the word meant.

"I'm sorry. I meant authentic." She laughed. Taking a long swallow from her goblet, she followed up with "How long does it take you to make a staff?"

"Uh…maybe a few hours. But for you, possibly longer. I'd make it real ornate and unique." He replied, starting to relax with the conversation. Slowly, he reached and poured himself a drink.

"I guess I'll have to get one too." Zekir laughed, seeing Darien smile at the thought. "We can train with each other."

"Uh, sorry for the curiosity…but is this why you wanted to see me?" Gabor asked, sipping his wine as he eyed the two. "I think there's a little bit more to why you wanted to talk with me."

"There is. And what we tell you is to not be repeated to anyone. At all." Zekir answered, setting down the apple. Looking at him with a stern look, he then said "Otherwise, you will die."

"I…I understand." Gabor replied, visibly swallowing nervously.

"Darien? Would you explain your idea?"

Darien let a wide smile grow on her face. "Gabor, what we're going to be asking of you is pretty simple. We need your help. And in return…you'll be rewarded handsomely for your assistance."

"Thus the importance of keeping others from knowing what we're doing." Zekir explained. "It's one of those things where…you help us, we help you."

"I think I get it." Gabor replied, mentally getting himself ready to hear their request. "I don't understand why you needed me, but I will help my Chief and the leader of the Dragon Hunters. What do you need of me? Besides my staves?"

* * *

 _ **So sorry for the delayed update. It's the same reason that I warned about previously, being school. I won't say much about it, because most of us are all in the same position; or understand the time requirement for such an activity.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to publish again soon. Thanks for the support!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Fate's Other Plans

**Chapter Nine: Fate's Other Plans**

* * *

"Wow…it's bigger than when we last saw it…" Astrid gasped out loud.

After an excruciating hike on a non-existent trail, the gang had finally arrived at the edge of Fallis Woods and were standing in an open field of knee high grass. In the distance, was Thariin. The Keep was still set high above it, with its grey walls being an eerie sight that blended well with the overcast sky.

"I didn't know so many people could live together like that!" Fishlegs commented. His eyes were wide with shock, being the first time he ever saw Thariin. Turning to Hiccup, he asked. "Was it overwhelming to see this place when you first came here?"

"It was. At first. We got used to it a little bit. Granted, we never really stayed here long. We met Ukiah the first night we arrived."

"And left the next day." Astrid added with a smile.

"I still remember that day as if it happened recently." Ukiah replied, staring at Thariin with a solemn look. "This is as far as I dare go. I'd rather hide in the trees than in a field."

"We can get there on our own. It's not like we can't see where we're going now." Hiccup agreed.

"I don't know. Last time we were here, you got lost trying to get to the Keep." Astrid teased, smirking at him as she recalled the memory.

"Hey! It was a maze on the streets!" He quickly defended.

Heather just stared at the large village, surrounded by decently sized walls. "I wish Matt was here. I wonder how it compares to where he came from."

"Where he's from…" Lydia repeated, shaking her head in dismay. "I still- it doesn't make sense!" Looking at Hiccup, she asked with a hint of desperation. "Did he really come from another…world?"

"He did. It was an adventure when we first met." He replied with a comforting smile. "Trust me, you're not the only one that had a hard time believing him."

Heather smiled as she rested her hand on Lydia's shoulder. "I almost went into shock. I actually didn't believe him until much later from when he told me."

Shaking her head, Lydia put on a wry smile. "Well, I guess there's an answer for everything. Even if it's the last thing you'd expect."

"Better get moving." Ukiah called out to take the conversation over. "It's still a hike to the city. I suggest having Hiccup and Astrid go together, with Fishlegs waiting for a few minutes before he goes through, maybe a half hour. Heather, why don't you head to the North gate. That way you won't be associated with anyone there."

"Sounds good." Heather replied with a smile. Pulling up her hood, she began to make her way to the North side of the village.

"Remember, you check out the Keep and Arena." Hiccup called out to her. "Astrid and I will scout the docks and market, while Fishlegs tours the village and parts of the walls."

"Got it! I'll see you in the evening!" She called out, ensuring her axe was secured to her back.

"Well, ready?" Astrid asked, smiling as she began to make their way to a road.

"Right with you." He replied with a smile. "See you later tonight, Ukiah! Keep him safe, Lydia!"

"Right. Since I'm the one that can protect him." She huffed sarcastically.

Fishlegs followed behind Hiccup and Astrid, though at a slower pace to let some distance grow between them. Watching the four turn into specks and slowly disappear from view, Ukiah quietly turned and walked back into the forest. Arrow growled happily as he watched him take a seat on a log, to which he launched himself into his lap.

"Glad we were able to have someone to keep us company." Lydia chimed in, taking a seat on another fallen log. "I wonder how Matt's doing?"

"He'll be fine. Wasatch will keep Stormfly entertained, as will Toothless. Meatlug will probably nap all day, and Lasher has always been low maintenance." He replied. Stroking Arrow's growing spikes, he let a small smile grow on his face. "He's getting bigger. His tail didn't used to touch the ground when he lay on my lap. And his spikes were tiny. Now they could draw blood if you hit them just right."

"I remember first seeing him. Couldn't believe you had a dragon following you around."

"You had a lot to think about then. You were almost killed, you had no idea who I was, and you probably had no idea with what was going on when I attacked."

"I knew a dragon was behind it, I just didn't expect that you were going to be with it." She admitted, smiling as Arrow leaped off Ukiah's lap to dig into the ground.

At that, the two sat there in silence. Ukiah didn't really have anything to say, and Lydia was unsure of what to ask him; or if she should ask him.

As they watched time draw on, she finally mustered her courage to ask him. "Uh…Ukiah?"

"Hmm?" He replied, not taking his eyes off Arrow.

"I…I was wondering…" She stammered. "Cou-could you tell me more about yourself? About…who you were?"

Ukiah looked up at her with a look that was mixed with surprise and bitterness.

"I mean only if you want to! I know you don't like talking about it!" She quickly defended.

Leaning back against a tree, he simply looked at her, as if studying her. With furrowed eyebrows, he gently shook his head. "If you know I don't like to talk about it, then why did you ask me to tell you about it?"

"I-I mean- I guess-" She stuttered, trying to explain her reasons. Letting out a long sigh, she shook her head and looked down at the ground. "So I can help you."

Ukiah instantly raised an eyebrow at the answer.

"You helped me. You saved me." She whispered. "And since you did that, I can't help but feel that you need help yourself. I mean, not like with fighting or anything like that."

Ukiah didn't say anything, as he simply continued to stare at her.

"I want to help you. I want to help you feel…peace. The entire time I've been with you and your friends, I can't help but feel like you're never actually at ease; that you're searching for something that will, I don't know, make things right? Stop whatever is hurting you?" Watching his face carefully, she was grateful that it never hardened or darkened with anger. "I feel like you believe yourself something that you're not. And from what I do know about you, you fought against it all your life! I want to know more about you, so that I can prove to you that you're not who you think you are. So, that's why I want to know more…"

He sat there with an unmoving face, as if it were set in stone. It honestly started to make her worry that he was bottling up his anger at the subject. Instead, she was shocked to see a single tear roll down his check.

"That's the thing, Lydia…I don't know anything about myself." He choked out. "I'm a Crevite. A person who rages and can't keep sense of my own passions goals. With a heritage of killers and murderers that are dead and gone from this world. Jessika robbed me of any surety I had of who I was, and I will never get that back…"

"But you don't want that to be you! That much I understand!" She argued. "Why are you dwelling on it so much? Even if you raged as you say you do, change its purpose! You say that you're people used it to kill; why don't you use it to defend others?"

"Because I got my friend killed last time I did that…" He whispered hoarsely.

Taken back by the answer, she simply sat there with a saddened look. She didn't know what to say. Seeing him sulk his head, she thought of how much she wanted to help him, but then it hit her. "I'm so sorry…" She whispered, standing up to take a seat next to him. "I don't know what that's like. But this is what I'm talking about."

"What?"

"You believing what you're telling yourself! That you can't defend those you care about; that you can't escape being a Crevite. Ukiah, I'm not saying that you should put away anything, or hide what happened to you. I'm telling you to mark it as an event in your life, and then move on! To use it to carry you where you want to go! I want to help you live in today, not yesterday. To live with passions that you seem to be scared to have!"

"And you don't think I'll be exploited because of that? If I have passions?" He challenged with a glare.

"To be fair, I don't think it's possible to get through life without being 'exploited' as you put it." She replied with a calm demeanor. She was glad that she did pay attention to her dad's lessons with talking to others. It was paying off with trying to reason with Ukiah. "Look at me. Look at my dad. I wanted to see Thariin so bad, that I was captured because I didn't care or think of the risks. My dad almost invaded your island because he was simply looking out for me. So yes. I think you will be exploited for your passions and what you care about. We always will be. That's the point of life. It's not to hide from what could happen, but rather live with what does happen."

Ukiah stared at her with a hardened expression, though it was ever so slightly softening up.

Resting her hand on his single one, she felt him tense up. Instead of lifting off of it, she gripped it and forced him to hold her hand. "So tell me what you went through. Then, maybe we can work through it together."

"What makes you think you'll be able to come with me back to Berk to help me after all this is over?" He quizzed as a last ditch attempt to keep his wall up.

"If I have to run away from my dad, I'll make sure I help you somehow; since it's the least I can do to repay you saving me." She quickly answered. "So please…let me try to help you experience life, instead of trying to help you hide in it."

Ukiah visibly swallowed, with his eyes misting up. Unable to wipe them, as she held onto his only hand, he let the tears drip off his cheeks. "I guess I can tell you the little bit of what I do know about me; being a Crevite and all. And what I did while I was here in Thariin."

"I'm all ears." She whispered as she never took her eyes off of him.

* * *

"Banshee? You in here?" Darien called out, poking her head in her room.

Banshee let out a welcoming growl as he sprinted to her.

"Hey buddy! How's my Flightmare doing?" She laughed, dropping onto her knees and rubbing his head. The glowing, moist scales rubbed off of him and onto her hands, adding a little glow to herself as well.

"He's been keeping me company."

Darien turned to see Zekir sitting on the railing of her balcony, all while inspecting a battle staff. It was a simple iron one, though with an Onyx stone set on top. Smiling, he stood up and walked over to her. "Was beginning to wonder if you started your plan without me."

"I'd never leave you. Or Banshee." She replied with a smile of her own. Letting him grab her in a hug, she also held him close. "Are you ready?"

"I think I am…"

"We'll be back. I promise. Who knows? You might not want to leave what we build together…" She continued to say, trying to ease his anxiety. She knew what he was giving up, as she did something similar when she first arrived in this world.

"I'll feel better when we get going. However…can we walk through the village? Just for my sake…"

Darien nodded in understanding, as she grabbed his arm and guided him out of her room. "Come on, Banshee, let's get going."

"One more thing." Zekir replied. Reaching for something behind the door, he flashed a smile as he presented a battle staff to her. "Gabor finished our staves last night. Given what we're doing, I figured I could teach you a little bit in regards to fighting with one."

Darien reached out and grabbed it, staring at the craftsmanship. Similar to Zekir's, it was a simple iron one, banded at the top and bottom. However, long, narrow etches were carved into it. The etches were colored just like Banshee; being blue. It was indeed her staff.

"It looks incredible…" She gasped, taking it to observe the detail a little more.

"It's balanced very well. I almost feel bad for what's going to happen to him."

"How is he adjusting with his new position?"

Zekir shrugged. "He's enjoying the benefits thus far. No one saw through the guise with the few public appearances he's done yet, though Ugo isn't enjoying it at all."

"How is Ugo dealing with…our plan?"

"He's disowned me. He thinks I'm a coward." He replied with an uncaring tone. "He doesn't understand that I'm not running away from my consequences, but simply taking time to prepare for them."

"And we'll be stronger than ever…" She assured, turning down the hallway.

"Of course. I wouldn't have given up so much if it wasn't going to help me become more than what I am." Then, with a small smile, whispered. "With you by my side too…"

Darien smiled at the comment. She was simply grateful that she was able to convince him to agree with her. The fact that he was willing to push the plan farther meant that he was indeed on board with her idea.

The two slowly made their way through the Keep, occasionally stopping for Zekir to either give a short story about a mounted dragon head, or some sort of treasure. As soon as they reached the doorway, the two guards opened up the way for them and let them out. As they stood at the doorway looking below at the village, Zekir let out a scoff. "It's funny. All this time, at least for the longest time, I thought I was at the top. That I couldn't get any more than what I had at the time." Gesturing to the village, the docks, even the arena, he shook his head in disbelief. "All this, the titles that I have, the treasures I have access to; they all made me forget the most important thing I have to live for…"

"Being what?" She asked, taking his arm and guiding to keep walking.

"Growing. Being better." He replied with a shrewd smile. "I was getting soft. I was becoming like my father, being complacent." Then, staring at her with a proud expression, explained. "You helped remind me of that."

"How? By asking you to come with me?"

"No. With what you're deciding to do. You have every right to enjoy your accomplishment of being the new leader of the Dragon Hunters, yet you refuse to slow down. You still have a goal to work towards. I too need to be that way. So, Darien the Snake, what would you have your newest crew member do?"

Smiling at the level of commitment he was showing her, she then whispered. "Well, first off, enjoy what you have made for yourself. And then after, accompany me to my ship and be my personal guard. We have a busy schedule ahead of us."

Zekir did a mock bow towards her, making the nearby guards look at each other in confusion.

Banshee then growled, butting himself in-between the two.

Laughing, Darien stroked her dragon's head. "Don't worry, Bansh…you're part of our team too."

With staff's in hand, and dragon alongside, the two made their way down the path to the market, enjoying the relaxing moment before they would change everything forever.

* * *

Fishlegs' eyes darted back and forth, eyeing two guards that were casually atop of the wall nearby where he was sitting. Pretending to be focused on reading, he avoided any chance of making eye contact with them. Seeing them pass by without giving him any thought, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay…two guards patrol the outer wall every half hour by the gates…" He whispered, making a small note on a piece of paper. "Great! Now just have to find Hiccup and Astrid…"

Standing up from his seat, he began to walk towards the market and docks; where they said they'd be scouting out. Turning down a street, he froze as he saw a small group of men push a catapult towards the docks, followed by another group pulling carts of boulders behind.

Staring at the sight, he never heard someone step behind him until he felt himself get pulled into an alleyway. Confused at what was going on, he found himself staring at a hooded and masked person with bright green eyes.

"Waghh! Please don-"

"Fishlegs! It's me!" Heather hissed, pulling the mask down. "Calm down!"

"Oh, Heather! You scared me!"

"I figured that the moment you froze." She teased, letting a small smile grow on her face. "Are you done?"

Nodding, he flashed the notes he took. "Yeah, it seems that Thariin is preparing for a frontal assault from the sea. I don't think they expect anything coming from behind. We'll have to see what Hiccup and Astrid find out."

"That's what I noticed too." She replied, double checking the alley way to ensure they were alone. "If Auger can get his men past the walls, he'll have no problem marching onto the Keep. Though they're keeping quite a few men there."

"What did you see anyways?"

"I was able to get a tour of the arena, but couldn't get close to the Keep. I guess Zekir is keeping visitors away from him right now. The arena is full of dragons, though I didn't see how many."

"Really? How do you know that?" He asked, concerned about having trapped dragons to free.

"They told me they received a shipment of dragons a bit ago." She replied grimly. "They use them for entertainment."

Fishlegs nodded with angst. "Do you think Darien is nearby the dragons? She'd have to be, right? She's a Dragon Hunter! She delivered those dragons to Zekir!"

"I didn't see her or her dragon. I imagine she's going to stick close to Zekir." She replied, pulling up her mask. "Come on, let's go find Hiccup and Astrid and get out of here."

Fishlegs awkwardly fumbled his notes as he followed her out of the alley, making sure he didn't crease any of the papers.

The two weaved in and out of the crowd, though no one really cared or seemed to care about Heather's hood and mask. The closer they got to the market, the more they saw people dressed similarly to her, in regards to no uniform like the guards, though they were armed like them.

"This is…weird." She replied quietly to Fishlegs, eyeing a man who was sharpening a great sword. "It explains why no one was questioned me, but why are all these people here?"

"Isn't Thariin a hub for trade and services?" Fishlegs asked moving closer to her. "I wonder if these are mercenaries. Or something like that."

Watching three men wrestle each other; Heather quickly began to walk to the upper market. "Either way, it's a good disguise for me. Do you see them?"

"No. Not in this crowd." He replied as he scanned the crowd for the brown and blonde-haired couple. "How big is this market?"

"The bigger of the two." A voice replied.

Turning to a person running a stand full of weapons, they saw that the person was being friendly.

"Though the lower market has grown just recently; since we're likely to be invaded."

"I see…" Heather greeted, pretending to look at the array of daggers laid out on the table. "How far are the docks from here?"

The man simply pointed, showing a pathway out of the wall, with a line of people going back and forth through it. "Just a small walk that way. I wouldn't go there unless you really need to. It's been a stampede of people carting supplies in for the last week. If you do go, be careful. Not everyone is friendly."

"Uh…thanks!" Fishlegs replied with a thankful expression.

"Come on, we better find the others." Heather huffed out, making her way towards the docks.

Fighting against the crowd that seemed to be in a rush, they were forced to step away from the path due to the amount of people moving around.

"If they went to the docks, they're going to have a hard time getting out." She observed after seeing two carts jam the walkway that stopped the flow of people. "Ugh, leave it to Hiccup's luck that something keeps plans from going smoothly."

"Heather?" A voice called out.

"Astrid! Over here!" Heather shouted, recognizing the voice. Grabbing her axe, she lifted it up to signal where they were.

"We see you! Just stay put! We're coming!"

"Finally!" She gasped out, still holding her axe up.

Fishlegs just stared at the crowd, trying to see Hiccup and Astrid come through. As he was doing so, he heard something that made his blood run cold.

"Make way! We need to get through!"

Whipping his head around, he gasped as he saw Zekir, Darien, and Banshee walk through the crowd, forcing them to stand aside as they came through. Grabbing Heather's arm, he forced it down and pulled her behind a group of people.

"Fishlegs! What's goin-mmpph!"

Clamping his hand over her mouth, he simply pointed down the pathway with wide eyes.

Seeing what he was scared about, she too went wide eyed. Trying to see if Astrid had found them, she watched helplessly as the crowd parted for Zekir just in time to reveal both Hiccup and Astrid standing in the open and right in front of the Black Heart and Darien.

"What the?!" Darien shouted, gaping at the sight.

"Run, Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, rushing ahead and in-between Darien and Zekir, pushing them over.

Hiccup was right behind her, kicking Banshee who was trying to bite at Astrid as she ran by.

"Out of the way! Banshee! Get them!" Darien shouted, scrambling to her feet and chasing after them.

"You two! Come with me!" Zekir shouted, pushing over someone as he drew his broadsword and followed after Darien.

Two guards stationed by the gate immediately followed their chief, letting the people scream and scramble out of the way.

"Come on!" Heather shouted, running into the street and chasing after the group. "We have to help them!"

"Ooooh! Thor!" Fishlegs shouted, running after her. "Why do things like this always happen?!"

Ignoring him, Heather saw Zekir and his guards turn right, to which she ducked into an alley way to try and intercept them. Breathing hard and her feet hitting the ground harder, she was grateful that the alley way not only freed up her pathway from people and stray crates, but it helped her get closer to Hiccup and Astrid! Seeing them pass the other side of the alley, followed closely by Banshee, she braced herself as she leapt forward with arms extended.

Wham!

She tackled Darien, who was completely taken off guard with the force of the hit, and the fact that she was hit in the first place. "Gah!" She gasped out, trying to get her breath back. "Wha- who-"

"Don't get up. Niece!" Heather growled with venom, as she scrambled to her feet and kept running.

Leaving Darien stunned on the ground, she could hear Banshee roar. Looking behind her, she smiled as she saw that Banshee had stopped chasing Hiccup and Astrid to help his rider! Even Zekir and his men had stopped! She at least bought them some time to hide or to get away.

Turning right at an intersection, she continued to sprint down the street, trying to intercept her friends.

"Heather! In here!"

Freezing, she almost toppled over with how fast she stopped. Turning around, she saw Hiccup and Astrid hiding in-between two buildings."

"Guys! We need to get out, now!" She whispered, ducking in the gap with them.

"We know! Where's Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked, looking around worriedly.

"He was behind me…I don't think they suspect him to be here!" Heather replied, turning to see if he had kept up with her at all. "We'll have to see if he can't get out on his own."

Looking worried about their friend, Hiccup reluctantly nodded. They were on a time crunch before the entire Thariin army would be looking for them, and they were nowhere near their dragons. Or any place safe for that matter!

"Come on! We can overpower guards at a gate and then leave this place!" Heather suggested as she drew her axe and gestured for them to follow.

Astrid had her axe drawn as well, knowing full well that they were going to get into at least one fight before they could get out.

As the three made their way towards the gate, they saw that there were three guards standing there; looking alert with the commotion they could hear in the distance.

"Think we can take them?" Astrid whispered, kneeling down and peaking behind a crate.

"I don't see why we can't." Heather whispered in return, unfolding her axe to get ready.

"Wait, look! We can just sneak over the wall! On those crates!"

The two girls saw what Hiccup was pointing out. Stacked a little farther down from the gate, were crates and barrels, set at a height where they could climb them.

"Come on, follow me!" He whispered, slowly making his way to the crates.

The three slid along the wall of a shack, being the closest cover they had before they made a break for it.

"It looks like we might have to help each other up the wall. Those crates aren't as high as I thought." Hiccup observed, staring at the obstacles that were supposed to be the key to their freedom."

He was right. The crates were still a good six feet lower than the wall. For Astrid and Heather, it was hardly a challenge; but for Hiccup and his leg, it was going to have a degree of difficulty added.

"Alright, when we make a break for it, let Heather go first." Astrid began to instruct, crouching and peeking around the corner of the building. "She can help lift you up. I'll be last to make sure those guards don't stop us. Between you and Heather, you can pull me up since I won't have a running start."

Hiccup looked at her with a flash of worry, not liking her being last. "I can hold them off, Astrid. You and Heather would have a better chance of pulling me. You two go first, okay?"

"Hiccup-"

"Ugh! Shut up you two!" Heather growled, cutting off their argument. "Astrid, both of us can jump up those crates together. As fast as we know we are, Hiccup won't be waiting long for his turn or for us to pull him up! Come on! We still have to run to the forest! And we'll have a dragon to worry about!"

Realizing the truth of her words, Astrid nodded. Looking at Hiccup with a concerned look, she then nodded to signal that she was ready.

"Now!" Heather shouted, sprinting from their hiding place.

Astrid and Heather both bounded up the crates, with Hiccup followed behind the two. Heather was already jumping up and grabbing the wall's ledge, pulling herself up. Astrid was right behind her, doing the same though a little more agile as she wasn't wearing heavy Razorwhip armor.

"Urgh!" Astrid grunted, rolling her body on top of the wall. Laying down on her chest, she reached down for Hiccup's hand.

"You there! Stop!" A guard shouted. The three guards obviously saw them try to scale the wall, and instantly began to sprint at them.

Ignoring the order, Heather and Astrid both simultaneously grabbed Hiccup's hands and began to pull him up.

"Stop!" The leading guard screamed, scrambling on the crates. Grabbing Hiccup's legs, he began to pull him back!

"Get off! Let me go!" Hiccup shouted, feeling pulled both ways and getting dragged along the edge of the wall.

"Gah! No!" Astrid shouted, feeling them lose the battle of tug-of-war over Hiccup. Getting onto her knees, she braced herself to get more of a footing to fight the now three guards that were pulling on him.

"Astrid! Let go of me!" Hiccup cried out, feeling himself get pulled lower.

"No! I'm not going to, Hiccup!"

"Astrid!" He gasped, feeling himself get pulled lower. "You can't be captured too…you or Heather! Go get Ukiah! Get Matt!"

"Hiccup…" She cried out, feeling her grasp begin slipping. Their eyes stared into each other, knowing the truth of his words. She felt sick. She felt like she was letting him down.

Heather continued to fight against the guards, not accepting that it was a losing battle. She couldn't let her friends down. She was a Berserker! And was going to fight no matter what!

"Raagghhh! Let him go!"

Everyone, including the guards instantly turned to see a massive kid charge into them. Group tackling the three guards and forcing them to let Hiccup go, they all crashed onto the ground.

Hiccup was instantly pulled up, safe and away from the guards.

"Go! You can escape!"

"Fishlegs?!" Heather cried out, seeing him get wrestled by the three guards.

"Go! Leave me!"

Hiccup, Astrid, and Heather stared at their friend get pinned down, knowing the only reason why they got Hiccup was because of him.

"We'll be back, Fishlegs! I promise!" Hiccup shouted.

Reluctantly, the three turned to leave their friend, who had sacrificed himself for them. With a mixture of anger and sadness, the three ran off the wall, crashing on the ground outside of the village.

Heather and Astrid rolled as they hit the ground, and though Hiccup tried, he ended up flopping onto his stomach.

"Come on! We need to go!" Astrid cried out, grabbing and pulling Hiccup onto his feet.

Heather was already running, which the two quickly followed. The field was open, not leaving many places to hide. The forest they had to get to was still a distance away.

"Just get to the trees!" Hiccup shouted. "We'll for sure lose anyone that will try to chase us!"

"Except for one person!" Heather shouted, looking behind her as she continued to run.

Both Hiccup and Astrid turned to see a blue dragon surging after them; with Darien boarding on it!"

"Get down!" Astrid shouted as she pulled Hiccup down onto the ground.

Heather rolled to the right, just as a stream of mist hit where she was standing.

"You're wasting my time and your energy!" Darien shouted, taking a wide turn for another strafe.

"Urgh, come on!" Hiccup yelled, scrambling onto his knees. "Go! Get to the trees! A Flightmare's mist can't penetrate through the trees!"

No one needed a second warning. Heather was already on her feet, as was Astrid. Pulling him along, they continued to sprint to the tree line, which seemed to get farther and farther away as they ran harder and harder.

"Sick 'em, Bansh!"

Astrid shoved Hiccup away to the left, just as she fell over to the right. Again, a stream of mist ripped in-between them. Heather, who was barely ahead of them, dove out of the way just a second too late. Her left foot was coated in the mist, from the knee down.

"No!" She cried out, feeling it lock up. No matter what, she couldn't even move her knee! Or her foot!

"Come on!" Astrid shouted, scrambling to help her up. "We're almost there!"

"Just go! I can still hobble at least!" She shouted, trying to run with her stiffened leg.

Hiccup instantly had an idea. One that he was sure that would make Astrid kill him. Sprinting away from Astrid and Heather, he drew his sword and let fire run up and down the blade. Waving it to grab Darien's attention, he shouted at her. "Over here, Darien! Let's see how much of a Dragon Rider you really are!" As he watched her, his heart sank as she circled around again, lining up Banshee at the grounded Riders. She completely ignored him as she fired to be what looked like a pillar of mist right at Heather and Astrid.

"Get to cove-Agggh!" Astrid shouted, throwing Heather ahead of her and pushing her back to the ground.

The pillar entirely enveloped Astrid, locking her body up almost instantly.

Heather rolled over just in time to see Banshee land directly over Astrid and was snarling viciously at her.

"Oh, look at that…I guess I got two Riders…" Darien snarled, glaring at Heather with hate. Rubbing her neck in an exaggerated way, she continued to growl with venom in her voice. "You know, auntie…that really hurt my neck when you tackled me. I'm not to keen on letting you live now. And I only need to bring one of you back…can you guess which one I'm going to take to Zekir?"

Heather stared at her with wide eyes, unable to respond to anything.

"Banshee…kill her."

Heather stared as the Flightmare's glowing mouth opened up wider and was getting ready to rip up his prey. Then, almost like it magically appeared there, a crossbow bolt grew out of the dragon's shoulder.

"Bansh!" Darien wailed, hearing her dragon screech in pain and stumble backwards.

Thhiiip! Another bolt hit the side of the Flightmare, forcing it to back off even more so from Heather.

"Grab the blonde and get out of here!" Darien continued to shout in a panic scanning the tree line. Then she saw exactly where the bolts were flying from. Ukiah was at the edge of the forest, while stepping on his crossbow's arm to load another bolt. But the sight that made her flush with more of a rage, was seeing who was next to him. Lydia. The one that was supposed to be Zekir's last defense against Bruvos. Shaking her head, she shouted "Get out of here, Bansh!"

Banshee had already gripped Astrid's arm as he launched into the air, dragging Astrid away with him.

"No! Astriiid!" Hiccup shouted hysterically, finally arriving to where she was moments ago.

Heather also watched in horror as Darien disappeared towards the Keep, landing somewhere nearby. "No…it's all my fault…" She whispered in despair.

"Hiccup! What happened?" Ukiah shouted, followed closely by Lydia and Arrow. "Why was Darien chasing you?"

"It doesn't matter! We need to get her back! Her and Fishlegs!" Hiccup shouted. "We need to get our dragons and get them back! We have no idea what they'll do to them!"

"Hiccup!" Ukiah shouted, dropping his crossbow and grabbing him with his one arm. Shaking him, he growled. "Listen to yourself! You're not thinking!"

"I know that they're in danger, and we're the only ones that can help them!"

Lydia slid on the ground next to Heather. "Are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Lydia…" She whispered, staring at the ground with a blank expression. "But Astrid…she…she-"

"Shh…come on." Lydia whispered, slinging her arm over her shoulders. "Let's get back to the cave. Apparently we have a lot to talk about."

"Hiccup, I know what you're feeling. Trust me, I do." Ukiah began to console, seeing Lydia help Heather up. Watching them limp away, since it was hard for Heather to walk on her own. "But we need to come up with a plan. Not a rash attack. They'll be expecting you! Trust me when I say that letting your feelings overpower your head usually leads to a worse situation…"

Breathing hard, Hiccup reluctantly nodded. Turning around slowly, with the Dragon Blade in hand, he whispered quietly. "I'm not abandoning you, Astrid. I'm going to help you. Just…hang on. Please…"


	10. Chapter 10: Unity and Discord

**Chapter Ten: Unity and Discord**

* * *

"And you just ran into them on the street?" Matt repeated, staring at Hiccup with a worried expression. "The Chief of Thariin and Darien…"

Hiccup nodded, staring at the fire with a blank expression.

"It was stupid chance that they even met. I was surprised to see Zekir walking down the street." Heather spoke up. "I couldn't get close to the Keep because of how tight security was. It was obvious he was worried about his personal safety."

"…for good reason…" Ukiah whispered hoarsely, struggling to fletch an arrowhead onto a bolt.

"Regardless of how slim or stupid it was running into them, we have a pretty serious issue." Matt replied loudly, taking control of the conversation. "We know they have Fishlegs and Astrid. We know they're expecting an army to invade them. The question isn't what we should do, but who should do what."

"That…can you repeat that?" Lydia asked, scrunching an eye to exaggerate how painful it was to follow him.

"I'm saying that we can't ignore or leave Astrid and Fishlegs behind, yet we still need to tell your dad about what to expect. That's the entire reason why we were here! And why our friends were captured!"

Hiccup nodded in agreement. "You're right. We need someone to tell him."

"I want to stay. I need to help you." Ukiah announced, almost defiantly.

"No, I've been thinking about what we should do, and I need you and Lydia to go and tell Bruvos what we learned." Hiccup replied, standing up. "But I need you to tell me one thing, Lydia. Where were the dungeons in the Keep when they had you prisoner?"

Surprised at the question, Lydia thought for a second. "I'm…unsure. I know that it wasn't directly part of the Keep. My guards outside my door kept on talking about the arena though. Maybe I was near there?"

"You were." Ukiah confirmed, raising a few eyebrows from those in the cave. "Strogg used the arena as a form of entertainment. To pit prisoners and convicts against captured dragons." Looking down, he quietly added. "I know because I was one, remember?"

Hiccup again nodded with a sad understanding.

"They would have kept the dungeons close to the arena, so they wouldn't have to move a prisoner outside of the Keep."

"Then we know they're connected! The arena and the Keep!" Heather cried out, getting excited about something. "There's no way we can get through the Keep's doors without being spotted. But the arena wasn't that guarded when I checked it out!"

"Giving us an open shot to not only where they're probably holding Astrid and Fishlegs…but also an alternate way into the Keep." Matt added, seeing what she was saying.

Heather nodded excitedly at him. "Which means Darien and Zekir!"

"No. We're just going to get Astrid and Fishlegs back." Hiccup quickly interjected. "That's all. We won't fight until we have Bruvos and Auger at our backs."

"And jeopardize the one weakness they have?" Matt argued. "We have to commit all the way, or we don't until we have everyone behind us."

Hiccup went silent, torn between what he wanted to do, and that which made more sense.

Lydia quietly spoke up, seeing his anxious face. "My father should arrive here tomorrow. If we can coordinate the rescue of your friends with my father's forces…we should be able to use the arena to get our men inside."

"Or you can go in from behind and open the doors to the Keep for us anyways." Ukiah added. "Besides, we ride dragons. We can land atop the castle if we have to. I don't think infiltrating the Keep is going to be the challenge."

Hiccup began to nod. "My plan still needs you to go to Bruvos. Since Heather helped scout the village, I need her to come with me. Matt would be helpful since Wasatch has the ability to immobilize an army; at the very least stall guards and such until we get Astrid and Fishlegs. And we need to leave right now."

"Now? When we have no backing with Bruvos or Auger?" Matt questioned, caught off guard with the announcement. "We want to use the one shot we have with using the arena as an entrance?"

"Didn't we do the same to get Heather back from Viggo and Darien?" Hiccup quickly challenged. "I know what we're giving up, Matt. It's an easy way to get into the Keep. But I can't let them keep Astrid longer than they already have. Besides, there's more to my reasoning than to just get our friends back."

Understanding why Hiccup wanted to leave right then, Matt nodded in agreement. "More than a fair reason. I'm ready to help, Hiccup. Besides, I owe it to her and Fishlegs. They helped more times than not."

"Thank you, Matt…"

"Still, why are you leaving tonight?" Lydia argued, looking at him strangely. "My father will be here tomorrow! Why not wait?"

Hiccup simply gestured to where Toothless lay. "Because we have the cover of the dark with us. If I know Darien, and had to guess about Zekir, they're thinking that we're coming tomorrow for our friends. That we're still recovering from almost being captured. If we try to sneak in tomorrow, we'll be spotted before we can even get close enough to fire at them; let alone sneak in after them. Besides…if we wait until tomorrow, it might be too late to save-" He stopped before he could finish his thought.

Lydia just stared at him, knowing he was taking his friends capture really hard.

"Plus the fact that the Thariin army will be busy with us, they won't be anticipating a full on invasion. It'll be a good distraction for your dad and his forces if we do this before."

"Not if you get captured or killed yourselves." Ukiah added, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder. "I can stay here and let Lydia fly to her dad. Lasher trusts her, and she's confident enough that she could ride by herself."

Lydia gaped at him, paling slightly at the idea that she'd be riding a dragon by herself.

"Let me help you get her back, Hiccup. Please."

"I know you want to help. You always do, Ukiah. But I need you to help Bruvos with his side of the invasion. They need you and Lasher. We're only going to get Astrid and Fishlegs and then leave. When we get them to a safe place, we'll be able to help the fight."

"Especially with Darien…" Matt growled, standing up and walking over to his gear. "I'm ready when you are, Hiccup."

Heather also stood up. "As am I, Hiccup." At that, she walked over and began to pack the few supplies they had into a saddle bag.

Ukiah shook his head angrily. "Hiccup…the last time I wasn't able to defend someone I cared about, I ended up losing them. I'm not going to let you do this without me."

"Please, Ukiah. This isn't just about Astrid or Fishlegs. It's about us being able to stop Darien and Zekir from hurting us even more than what they've already done to us."

Ukiah could only glare at him. Wishing for anything to be able to go with him, he reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Fine. Only because you're asking me to help Bruvos. During the invasion though, I'm going to search for you and help you. That is my priority."

"Thank you, Ukiah. And if everything goes according to plan, you won't need to help us. We'll all be out and helping with the fight."

Ukiah reached up with his single arm, grabbing Hiccup by the shoulder. "Be careful, Hiccup. I don't want to be the only brother to Matt. Or to be the one to tell Stoick what happened. I know he'll kill me if I tell him"

"I will, Ukiah. We'll see each other again. I promise."

Nodding, he turned around while shouting "Lasher! Get ready to fly! Arrow! Where are ya'?"

Lydia glanced at the three with a worried expression. "Be careful you three. I want to be able to come back to Berk with all of you."

Hiccup nodded with a sheepish smile, acknowledging the order.

As Lydia and Ukiah disappeared into the darkness out of the cave's light, the only evidence that they had left was Arrow's tiny screech, followed by a roar from Lasher as he launched into the air.

Sighing, Hiccup turned to get his own gear ready, obviously still stewing over what had happened and what they were going to do. Finally, in the burning silence, he asked out loud. "How did you do it, Matt?"

Taken back by the question, he turned to Hiccup who was keeping himself busy by packing his saddle bag. "What do you mean?"

"When Heather was captured by Darien…how did you hold yourself together?"

"Whoo boy, that's kind of a loaded question." He grunted, zipping up his duffle bag that his dad had left for him a few months back in his cave. "You know how I acted. When I saw Darien take her away, and I was unable to do anything about it; I lost it. I was broken. Honestly, Hiccup, you're reacting a hundred times better than I ever did. I thought Heather was dead before I even had a chance to think of a rescue. I gave up on her."

"I need to correct you on something." Heather quickly cut in. "I gave up on you first. I got angry with you and made you feel that I didn't want to be with you. It wasn't emotionally your strongest time."

"Regardless, you're acting a lot better than I ever did." He continued to say, trying to comfort him. "You know me. I get rash. I don't think things through when I get angry. It took Ukiah smacking me in the head to get me to return normal. And I'm glad I was wrong. Heather would have been Zekir's slave if we hadn't attacked Viggo's auction if we waited any longer. Which is why I'm not fighting you with your decision to go now."

Hiccup sat there quietly, debating on asking the question that was burning him since they escaped Thariin. "You don't think Darien or Zekir will kill her, do you?"

Matt let out a long sigh. "Again, that's a loaded question. I don't want it to happen. Astrid is as close as a friend to me as she is you. Er, well I guess you two are closer now. But anything can happen. I'm not going to lie to you and say that she'll be fine when I don't know that."

Heather cast him an angry glare, knowing it wasn't helping Hiccup.

Ignoring her, he continued to explain himself. "But in my opinion, I don't think Darien will kill her. She wanted Heather dead and didn't try to kill Astrid when she had all the opportunity in the world to do so. It was obvious she wanted one of them alive. As to why? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. But I don't think she intends to kill her. She might be trying to think of a way to use her against us. Her and Fishlegs."

Hiccup slowly nodded at the answer, knowing there was at least some truth with what Matt said.

"Now, how about you fill us in on what you're thinking in regards to actually breaking them out." Matt whispered, flipping out his knife and spinning it in his hand to pass the time.

"Fair enough. Heather? Do you remember details of the arena at all?"

Heather nodded, mentally refreshing what she saw.

"Are you sure it wasn't heavily guarded?"

"Positive. They were putting men closer to the docks, and the others were either walking along the wall or guarding the Keep."

Hiccup nodded as he returned his attention to the fire in the middle of the cave.

"Why did you want to know?" She asked, curious as to the reason.

"If my plan works, they won't realize that we used the arena to get in and out. They'll be too focused on other things."

Seeing his idea, Matt let a smile grow on his face. "You wouldn't happen to need…say a distraction, would ya'? I mean, if you and Heather go through the arena to the dungeons during a lightning storm, who's going to see you?"

For the first time since they escaped Thariin, Hiccup let the slightest smile grow on his face. "We might need more than just a lightning storm, Matt. I think we're going to need an angry Skrill, a Dragon Boarder, and a Berserker to help us get Astrid and Fishlegs back; but after we actually get them back. I want to tear down the arena and make it look like it's not worth saving or defending..."

* * *

"I can't believe it…right on our own docks! In our own market!" Zekir growled, watching one of his healers continue to work on Banshee. The bolts were easily removed, and did relatively little damage to the hearty dragon. Even with that, Zekir was still in a sour mood. "What hope does Thariin have if my men simply let Dragon Riders roam my village without question?"

"We were about to go with our plan." Darien pointed out, polishing her new staff. "It wouldn't have made a difference if we spotted them or not."

"And now we're delayed…" Zekir growled, shaking his head angrily. Standing up, he walked over to the balcony and stared down at his village. "What do we do now? Leave? Stay? We have captives now."

"Captives don't win wars. We still need to go. The point of the plan was to prepare us to fight the Dragon Riders, whether they win or lose here. I just have some questions for those we captured." She replied, also standing up. "Like, when is Bruvos coming? Where are the rest of the Dragon Riders? The last thing I want to do is sail in a place where they're going to find us."

Zekir nodded in agreement, though he still remained tense about the whole situation.

"I also have…a more personal question for them."

Zekir whirled around, looking at her with a dark expression. "Personal? What do you mean?"

"Just something that will possibly help us when we leave this place. And to figure out why I saw Lydia with Ukiah."

Recoiling back in shock, he gasped out. "No…Lydia? She…she was free? And with him?"

"I'd say she's with the Riders entirely. She was probably saved by Ukiah; or anyone for that matter. It explains why Bruvos turned on you in the middle of the Battle of Berk. You no longer had control over them, and they somehow conveyed that message to him. I want to learn or confirm how they found her."

Zekir closed his eyes and looked up. "There's no point in figuring out how they found her…it's too late to help us. I should have just had her killed the second day of her voyage…what was I thinking?"

"It's easy to see what you should have done after the damage is done." She quietly counseled. "The question, is what do we do now?"

Turning to look down at his village, he narrowed his eyes as he whispered. "It's hopeless to stay here. Win or lose, you're right; we need to prepare ourselves personally. We need to meet the Dragon Riders when we're able to deal with them. Where is your ship and your men?"

"I sent them away after I gave Astrid to your men. They're up the coast so that we don't have to worry about breaking through a blockade if Bruvos sets one up. Banshee is strong enough to carry us to where we need to go to meet them."

Nodding in satisfaction, he whispered. "We're going to have a chat with our new friends. Then we will go ahead with your plan. Are they separated?"

"Of course, as you ordered. The boy is named Fishlegs. He has the most knowledge of dragons. He is very loyal to his friends, but also very soft hearted; he's the one that we should interrogate. The girl, named Astrid, would just sooner fight us before saying an insult. Trust me, I know that."

"Good. You said the boy is soft hearted?"

Darien simply nodded.

"I can make him tell us everything you need to know. I've broken a few people like him before; they're easy. And it'll let me be able to vent." He growled, turning to walk out of the room.

Darien smiled, knowing full well that it would be an eventful conversation. One that would make him talk and she'll be able to get back at Astrid; without even laying a finger on her. Following him out of her room, she gently stroked Banshee's head as she walked by. "Just rest for now, bud…I know you want to come, but its best that it's just me and Zekir."

Banshee growled quietly, closing his eyes and ignoring the healer patching him up.

As the two walked down the labyrinth of halls, Zekir then asked "Where were you thinking we should go after we question our captives? Have you any thoughts on that?"

"Back to the archipelago. I need to prove to my men that we're still Dragon Hunters. Just Dragon Hunters with a new hate and passion. Besides, I need to rebuild our reputation, fleet, and merchandise; which Fishlegs will hopefully provide help in that regards."

Zekir nodded approvingly at the plan of action. It was a long term plan, and one that would indeed set up the Hunters for another war if needed. And disguise their whereabouts and purpose.

The two made it a quick trip to the dungeon, knowing full well they were going to get information that they both needed. And if not, at least they'd have fun before they left.

"How far do these tunnels go?" She asked, grabbing a torch from off a wall, since Banshee wasn't with her to light the way.

"All the way to the arena. My father designed them this way when the Keep was built. It was to ensure that no prisoner would escape. In the history of the arena and the fights we set up, only one person ever escaped from here. According to Ugo at least."

Darien looked at him with a raised eyebrow, silently asking him to explain.

"It was Ukiah. He and the dragon he was supposed to fight joined together and escaped. Granted, they had help from some of Berk's people, but it doesn't excuse the fact that they did indeed escape their fate. The only ones."

As they continued to walk down the eerie tunnel, they came up to two guards standing outside of a larger door from the usual cells.

"What room is this?" She asked, looking at it quizzically.

"It's the interrogation room. Not all prisoners are sentenced to a life in the arena. That's a softer punishment of the two. This is for those who deserve less than a chance to fight for their life."

Darien mentally prepared herself for what she would see, expecting only gore and sights that would bring nightmares for the rest of her life.

Zekir turned to the two guards standing outside the door. "Get the other prisoner, but wait out here until I summon her."

The two guards nodded in acknowledgement and left them alone.

With a deep breath, Zekir pushed the door open and walked in.

Following closely by, Darien was surprised to see the room was actually very clean. It rivaled most of the rooms in the Keep! Of course, devices and other torture tools were in the room; ranging from racks, chains with cuffs, shackles bolted into the stone walls, plyers, hooks, an array of certain knives and blades, X stands, and even a cross were all organized in various places in the large room. In the far end of the room though, was a small cell with a single boy sitting on a bench and looking at them nervously.

Smiling, she walked up to him with Zekir close by. "Hello, Fishlegs…fancy seeing you here. I was sure it was only Hiccup and Astrid, since it's such a risk to bring more of you Riders to a city that is actively looking for you. What a pleasant surprise."

Fishlegs simply glared at her. Folding his arms, he turned away to stare at nothing.

"Fishlegs, is it?" Zekir called out, moving in a position to make Fishlegs stare at him. "I'm told you're very knowledgeable about dragons. My council could use someone like you."

"I can use someone like you as well." Darien added with a wide, mischievous smile.

"I won't accept anything you offer me!" He replied back, challenging Darien with his eyes. "You hurt dragons for fun!"

"Aye, we do; but so does most of the world. As far as I'm aware, you Riders are the only ones that care for dragons like you do. Besides, I haven't even told you about the perks of being part of my council! All the books you can read, all the resources you want to discover new dragons, and of course…" He then gestured to a Monstrous Nightmare skull mounted as a trophy above them. "All the dragons you'd ever need to study."

Fishlegs simply scowled at him and folded his arms.

Darien smiled as she spoke up, stepping closer to Fishlegs. "You see, Fishlegs, it's more than that. We'll grant you your freedom if you simply tell me what you know about the Dragon Eye. Someone like you surely has notes or records. Or better yet, where is the Dragon Eye?"

Zekir looked at her, a little confused at the request.

"The Dragon Eye? It's destroyed! Gone! Hiccup made sure of it when Viggo died!"

"Then…how about your notes?" She followed up with.

"Why would I give them to you? Dragon Hunter!" He cried out angrily.

"Watch your tone…Rider. Your life might depend on it." Zekir growled, reaching to grab his longsword.

Darien stopped him, to which she kept on looking at Fishlegs. Keeping eye contact with him, she walked over to a table littered with Fishlegs' belongings. "I am a Dragon Hunter. It's not an insult. No matter how venomous you say it.

Fishlegs shifted uncomfortably at her explanation and as she approached the table.

Shuffling through the contents of books and scattered papers, she smiled as she flipped open a folded paper. "Hmm, patrol schedules. Very detailed too. I'd say they're better than the ones we give our guards." Pausing for a second, she then turned to Fishlegs with an inquisitive smirk. "Tell me, Fishlegs…why did I ask you for information on the Dragon Eye instead of about the invasion? Or where Hiccup and the others are?"

Fishlegs only stared back at her.

"Because we know we're going to lose. Any half-wit can see that."

"Why do you want to know about the Dragon Eye if you're going to lose?" He quickly fired back.

"For intellectual reasons. I want to learn about dragons while I still draw breath." She explained, setting the paper down and continuing to go through his belongings. "Surely you can understand that."

Again, Fishlegs remained silent.

"Ooh, what's this?" She asked aloud, holding a book up. On the cover was the Stoker Class symbol on it. "The Dragon Manual? This looks important…"

Fishlegs let out a whimper, seeing her open it up to read it.

"Hmm…seems you've been editing it. This is your handwriting, yes?" She asked, flipping it over to show him and Zekir. "Interesting that Deadly Nadders have that specific weakness of rubbing under their chin; I'll have to remember that."

"Oh, th-that?" Fishlegs stuttered. "That's all…nonsense. A Viking named Bork wrote it, and it's all wrong and outdated information."

"Yet you still had it in your possession, so it still has some value." She commented, calling him out on his bluff. "I remember when I was searching for this originally. It was a while ago, remember? When you Riders captured me and held me prisoner for a week or so."

Fishlegs swallowed as he recalled the memory.

"Hmm, doesn't matter now I guess. I think I'll take this. But I still need to know if you have any more notes from the Dragon Eye." She continued to say, closing the book and tucking it under her arm. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me what you and Hiccup have learned from it?"

Fishlegs swallowed again. Reluctantly, he shook his head.

"I see…" She whispered, turning to look at Zekir.

"How are you still alive?! You should be dead!" Fishlegs shouted, trying to make her think of something else. "Matt said he hit you with a lightning bolt directly!"

Darien slowly turned back to Fishlegs with a wicked smile. "He's right. He sure did hit me with a lightning bolt. I probably would have died, had I not had friends that spent a hefty amount of gold to help me recover. So yes, I should be dead, but…I am not."

Fishlegs swallowed, regretting the subject he brought up.

"Last chance. Tell me what you learned from the Dragon Eye."

Fidgeting, Fishlegs looked down and shook his head.

Darien sighed in disappointment. "Very well. I tried to be nice, but this is why I've been so mean to you Riders. Zekir, you ready?"

Zekir nodded, all while glaring at Fishlegs with black, lifeless eyes.

Fishlegs visibly swallowed as he stammered out. "D-do yo-your w-w-worst…"

"Oh, Fishy…" Darien laughed. "Being brave never really helped anyone. It was the reason why Matt almost killed me. But, regardless…we're not going to lay a single finger on you."

"Bring her in." Zekir called out loudly.

Fishlegs' face gaped as the door opened again, revealing Astrid being dragged in by two guards. "Astrid!" He cried out.

"Grrumph!" She grunted, fighting them as they pulled her by her arms. They were tied behind her, and she had a cleave gag tied around her head to keep her from shouting; as her guards found out soon after her paralysis wore off.

"Over there." Zekir pointed, sounding annoyed and tired at the effort they were putting in to get information.

The two guards wrestled Astrid to some hanging chains, which they untied her arms and fought to get them clasped in the cuffs.

"Gph mphf!" She shouted, unable to fight the guards' strength.

Finally locking the cuffs on her, one of the guards began to pull the chains' slack to raise her arms above her head. The other guard locked cuffs on her ankles, bolted to the ground to keep her from kicking and anchoring her down to the floor.

Astrid simply shook the chains, fruitlessly testing the bonds. Knowing it was pointless to try and shout anymore, she could only glare at Zekir and Darien.

"There, that's better." Zekir replied quietly, casually walking up to Astrid. "Now, to fill you in…uh…it's Astrid, correct?"

Astrid simply glared at him with her icy blue eyes, wishing she could spit in his face.

"Mister Fishlegs here, was refusing to tell Darien about something called the Dragon Eye. I personally want to know where Hiccup and the others are. And if Matt is in your company. But he's been very tight lipped. If this were a theatrical performance, you'd be proud of him I'm sure." Reaching forward, he pulled off her headband, letting her hair fall a little farther over her eyes. "Don't think you need this anymore. Now that we have that settled, Fishlegs…answer Darien's questions, and tell me what I want to know."

"I'm all ears, Fishlegs." Darien added, walking up to Fishlegs with an evil smirk.

Fishlegs simply stared at Astrid with fear in his eyes. Seeing him stare at her, she shook her head.

"So be it." Zekir snapped, grabbing a curved knife from a nearby stand. Swinging it up at Astrid, he slashed the leather strap holding her left shoulder guard.

"Mmph!" She grunted in pain. Looking down, she saw that he had purposely cut into her.

Fishlegs ran to the bars of his cell, staring at her in horror. "No! Leave her alone!"

Zekir slowly turned and glared at Fishlegs. "No. I won't." At that, he swung at her right shoulder armor, slicing the strap and digging the blade into her shoulder like the last one.

"MMmmmffff!" She tried to shout, feeling a certain warmth begin to run down her shirt. She knew what it was, and didn't bother to look.

"No please!"

"You had your chance, now it's my turn to show you what happens." Zekir growled. Walking around Astrid, he spun the knife in his hand, whispering to her. "If only you were Matt…I'd have a bit more to say to him before I started to remove his fingers."

"For what it's worth, Astrid has a special place in Matt's heart. You hurt her, you hurt him! And all the Riders for that matter." Darien spoke up, taking a seat on a table. Smiling at Astrid's glare, she then shrugged in an uncaring way. "This is fun! I finally get to watch someone torture you! It was always me who was interrogating."

"You know…" Zekir continued to say. Getting close to Astrid's ear, he whispered. "I know how to keep people alive, when they can only wish to die. Unfortunate that your friend had to play hero…"

Astrid simply glared at Zekir, wishing she could do anything to bloody him.

"I have no intentions to keep you alive though." He whispered coldly. At that, he drove the butt end of the knife across her face, splitting her cheek open.

"Astrid!" Fishlegs cried out, gripping the bars out of desperation.

"…mmmhhmm…" She groaned, trying to stand up on her own.

"Have you ever wondered what happened to those that try to play hero?" Zekir asked aloud to know one specifically. Walking behind Astrid, he made eye contact with Fishlegs. In a flash, he sliced the knife down her braided hair, jerking her head back and slicing the tie she had at the end; which unraveled the braid and let several strands of hair fall to the floor.

"Urmph!"

"Please stop!"

"I'll tell you how they end up." He continued to lecture, stopping in front of Astrid and glaring at her icy stare. "They end up like Ukiah with his missing arm, and his dead, pet dragon." He then swung the knife across her stomach, shallowly cutting her across. He didn't stop. He then slashed the knife down her leg clear to her boot.

"Hmmph!" She gasped out as she went limp. Hanging by her hands, she clenched her eyes shut to bear with the pain.

Zekir didn't stop. He punched her in the stomach, followed quickly by driving the butt end of the knife into her side.

"Grmph!" She gasped, opening her eyes wide to the hits. They were dilating wildly as her body registered the shock of the blows. She made no efforts to stand on her own, as she continued to hang there with her arms above her head.

Looking at his victim remain limp, Zekir scoffed. "I heard you were the toughest of all the Riders. A fighter at heart. I'm not impressed. Ukiah gave me more of a fight with a useless arm! At least, before I took it."

Astrid didn't try to look at him. She could only focus on breathing and staying awake.

"Did you know I can cut right here, and you'll never stop bleeding?" Zekir asked, resting the blade on the inside of Astrid's upper arm. "It's nothing like slitting your throat open though, or cutting your wrist. It's a much longer, painful process; and usually takes a day until your body finally gives up."

"I'll tell you! I'll talk!" Fishlegs shouted, seeing Zekir rest the blade against Astrid. "You touch her any more, and I won't say anything!"

"Nnnhhh…" Astrid tried to protest, looking at Fishlegs

Zekir didn't say anything. Resting the blade where he said he'd cut, he had an internal debate whether or not it was worth keeping her alive.

"Zekir…let's hear what he has to say first." Darien suggested, seeing him not withdraw the knife.

Almost reluctantly, as if he was having a fight inside of him, he slowly drew the knife away from her, leaving a small red line where the blade was resting.

"Matt is here! He was with us!" He quickly cried out. Grateful that he didn't cut Astrid anymore, he continued to shout. "He didn't come with us when we were here scouting your village! I'm guess that he and the others went back to Bruvos' fleet to report to him!"

"Unlikely." Darien interrupted. "I know you Riders. You wouldn't leave your friends behind without staging some kind of rescue."

"What better rescue than an invasion!" Fishlegs argued. "I'm telling you what I think Hiccup would do! Just stop hurting her!"

Zekir turned to Astrid, who was mumbling into her gag as if to stop Fishlegs. Frowning, he swung the butt end of the knife into the side of her head, knocking her unconscious. She simply hung there with her hair unraveled from the braid and covering the right side of her head.

"I said stop! I'm telling you everything I know!" Fishlegs cried out hysterically.

"She's still alive." He replied with an uncaring tone. "I just made sure she wouldn't affect what you're going to tell us. Now, you were saying?"

Fishlegs stared at Astrid's limp body with a fearful expression. "Just…let her live! Please!"

"Depends on the kind of answers you give us."

Swallowing, Fishlegs whispered while looking at Darien. "The Dragon Eye notes we have aren't here. We don't have many of them."

"Did you update your…Dragon Manual?" She asked, staring at him with hard eyes.

"A few dragons. Yes." He admitted, looking down in shame.

"Good enough for me." She huffed with an evil smirk.

"Where are the rest of the Riders?" Zekir followed up with.

"We were camped about twenty or so miles in a forest! That's where we hid our dragons!"

"Fallis woods…" Zekir commented.

"We were supposed to meet back there and then fly to Bruvos! That was the only reason why we came here!"

"And when is Bruvos supposed to get here?" Zekir asked.

"I don't know! If I had to guess, tomorrow or the day after!"

"And what of the other Riders? The twins and…Snotty? Were they with Matt?" Darien quickly followed up with.

Fishlegs swallowed, unsure of how to reply.

Zekir slowly raised the knife up to Astrid's limp head, resting the blade against her throat.

"His name is Snotlout! And they weren't with us! They went to defend Bruvos' kingdom!" He shouted, seeing the threat. "We thought you'd try to attack them!"

Zekir frowned at the explanation. "Hmph. I guess that's an answer I can accept."

"But still, I doubt they would have abandoned their friends so easily. With or without an invasion." Darien growled, walking up to Fishlegs with a scowl. Folding her arms, she simply stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Give me a good reason why would they abandon you?"

Fishlegs swallowed again. "B-because Hiccup looks at the bigger p-pic-picture! You know that, Darien! Especially with Matt working with him! They're going to do the thing that will help everyone!"

Darien turned to Zekir with a frown. "I don't know. It sounds like something they would do, but it's also something that they wouldn't do."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see." Zekir replied, lowering the knife. Using Astrid's leather skirt, he cleaned the blade and set it back where he pulled it from. "If we see any Dragon Rider come by, we'll kill you two. If we see an army at our gates, we'll use you two."

"Zekir! What abou-"

"Talk with me, Darien." He replied, grabbing her arm and walking her out. "Thank you, Fishlegs, for your help and information. I'll leave Astrid here to…keep you company. And to remind you of the fate all you Riders' will face."

Fishlegs simply watched them walk out of the room and slam the door shut. With a quivering lip, he turned to Astrid who continued to hang there unconscious. "Astrid…" He whispered, knowing it wouldn't do anything help. He could see parts of her now mangled hair was stained with blood, coming from her shoulders and cheek that added to the harrowing sight of what they did do to her. Shaking his head in self-disappointment, all he could do was wait and hope she was alright; and that Hiccup and the other could save them.

* * *

"What was that?! About us waiting to see if they would be rescued?!" Darien shouted, stopping in the middle of the tunnel. "We were going to leave! We need to leave! Especially now with what you did to Astrid! They'll be on a blood hunt for us!"

"Yes, we are leaving, and that was the reason why I didn't kill her or her friend! But we have an opportunity to hurt the Riders if they try to save their friends." He replied. "If they try to come before Bruvos' invasion, then not only do they not have back up, they'll be fighting an army by themselves. An opportunity that we can't afford to miss. You know I'm speaking the truth."

"And what if we're sitting here waiting for them to come, and they end up arriving with Bruvos' army?!" She barked back. "We'll be too late to do anything! The Riders will chase after us if we try to leave then!"

"I'm not saying we wait until Bruvos arrives. I'm saying we wait until late morning tomorrow, and then we leave. If they try to save their friends, we get them and kill them. If not, then no harm done."

"Zekir, listen to me…we've been delayed long enough already. The Riders can still chase a ship! And now that we know that Matt is here, he can use his damn Skrill to sink our ship at a distance where we can't shoot him down! And Banshee can't outfly the Skrill with two people on him! Let alone Hiccup and his Night Fury, who is arguably faster than Matt's Skrill when it's not in a storm!"

"Darien, please trust me. I'm not jeopardizing our chance to escape for the sake of revenge on Matt-"

"But you are!"

Pressing his finger on her mouth to quite her, he continued to explain his reason. "Even you said that you don't know if they'll come to rescue their friends before the actual invasion. It's an opportunity we need to take! Whether we kill them or not, I'm still going with you! I'm still following the plan!"

Frowning, Darien folded her arms and looked away from him.

"Please listen to me." He whispered, pulling her to him and kissing her on the head. "Trust me on this, like I trusted you with your idea."

Darien stared at him with hardened eyes, trying to find an argument against his plea. Letting out a long sigh, she finally looked down and shook her head. "You know what? You're just like Viggo."

Zekir was slightly taken back by the comparison, looking at her with an expression silently asking her to explain herself.

"You're both obsessed with stopping someone that you think wronged you. Viggo with Hiccup. You with Matt. Tell me, what did he do to you?"

"He almost killed you! If I'm obsessed with something, it's making sure I stay stronger than my enemies! And your enemies fall into that same category!" He growled. "I'm nothing like Viggo!"

"Viggo hated Hiccup. With really no reason other than he rivaled him in strategy." She continued to explain, ignoring his claim. Turning, she slowly resumed to walk down the tunnel, with him following closely by. "I'm not experienced with fighting, not even riding dragons. Not yet at least. But I can understand people. A lot more than I let on."

Still confused with why she was telling him this, he simply watched her with a raised eyebrow as he walked.

"It drove him. It changed him even. And now he's dead." She whispered, looking solemn as she talked. "You're obsessed with Matt, even more than I am. No one wants him or his friends dead more than me. It was my entire purpose of why I chose to live here. I left my home to ensure that I would make my family great again."

"And you're doing that! Look at what you've done! Look at what you're doing!"

"Because I'm not obsessed with killing Matt anymore." She growled. Stopping in front of him, she squared up and looked at him in the eye. "I'm a slow learner, I'll admit that. But I do learn. After Matt fried me a few months ago, I knew I had to change my priorities. Viggo didn't do the same. He kept seeking and pursuing Hiccup. And now he's not here. Or his brother. Or the men than followed them."

Zekir just stared at her, unsure of how to respond.

With a pleading in her eyes, she gently reached up and stroked his cheek, ruffling his short beard. "Don't make the same mistake. Don't chase the Riders like Viggo did. We will kill them, destroy their dragons, and burn their homes; but we can't do it right now. That's why we need to leave. That's why I need you to be with me. I can't do this alone."

Zekir stared back at her with wonder. "But what of Matt? With what he did to you, I need-"

"You need to be by my side. Nothing else. He's the one that hurt me, not you." She cut off, not taking her hand off his cheek. "He did what he did to me, because of what I did to him and his friends. I deserved being burnt. He was in the right. I need to be stronger if I want to face him again, and you're the only one that can teach me that. If you want to get revenge on Matt for what he did to me, then help me learn how to fight so I can beat him."

His face instantly softened. Reaching up, he grabbed her hand and held it there. "Darien…it's kills me to think how I, The Black Heart, was taken by someone. I didn't care about family, friends, or even about my subjects. I was a stone like my father. How you won me over is a mystery I'll never understand, but never question that it did happen."

Darien let a soft smile grow on her face in the torches' light.

"I'll help you. You know I will. But only if you pledge one thing to me."

Shocked at the request, she could only stare at him in wonder.

"Help me be like you. Someone unwavering in goals, but can adapt as life changes. Can you help me with that?"

Smiling, she reached and grabbed him in a hug. "Of course; but that means you have to be with me."

"Which means we leave now…" He whispered, holding her tight.

"Then let us go. We'll go inform Ugo and Gabor of what we learned from Fishlegs, and then we'll leave. Perhaps Ugo can do us a favor when we leave." She replied with a large smile.

"Agreed. And while we're at it, why don't you fill me in on what you plan on doing when we finally set our course to where we're going."

"It involves using this…" She answered, holding the book up in the light. "And reviewing a great deal of Viggo's old notes and maps."

At that, the two continued to walk down the tunnel, with Darien explaining what she was planning in the future, and exactly what they needed to do with the Dragon Book.

* * *

 _ **Chapter 10 is done and posted! Hope it was entertaining to read at the very least. I'm going to try and finish a chapter a week, which I think is possible now that things sort of simmered down at school. Hope it stays that way for a while. At least to the point it's manageable. Hope all of you are doing good and had a good weekend!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Infiltration and Extraction

**Chapter Eleven: Infiltration, Extraction, Invasion, Departure**

* * *

"Hiccup, are you sure about this?" Heather asked, gliding alongside of him. The lights from Thariin were already in view, and the black sky was getting hints of grey, signaling that it dawn was fast approaching.

"I'm positive, Heather. We need to do this."

"I'm not talking about going in to find them. I'm talking about doing this right now. Zekir's men will be distracted with an invasion that they won't care about guarding two prisoners. Especially when Auger starts his attack from behind!"

"We know Darien, Heather. We also know enough about Zekir. They won't let them be unguarded, especially during a fight. If anything, once they realize they're losing, they may…they may take them from us. If we hit them now, at least we have a chance of catching them flat footed so they don't do something that drastic."

"Hiccup, I understand, but-"

"Heather, he's right. Now is better than waiting." Matt interrupted, gliding Wasatch in-between them. "What would have happened had we not gone searching for you when Darien took you away?"

Letting out a long sigh, she simply replied. "I can take a guess."

"You would have been taken here. And probably killed here, since we know how well they took care of you." He answered. "We know Darien will use her to exploit Hiccup, and Fishlegs for some kind of scheme too. If not both! The sooner we hit them, the less likely they'll be able set something up for us, or hurt Astrid and Fishlegs."

Nodding in understanding, she simply looked to her right to see Stormfly looking around anxiously, still confused as to why Astrid wasn't with her. "I know, I just want to make sure we get them back too."

"And we will. That's why we're going right now." Matt pointed out.

"Alright, we're right above the village." Hiccup shouted, looking down below. "That's where the arena should be. Let's go! Quietly!"

"Alright, girls, follow us!" Heather called out, turning to Stormfly and Meatlug. "We're getting our friends back!"

Stormfly let out a joyful squawk, followed by an angry grunt from Meatlug as they banked themselves behind Windshear.

"Alright bud, nice and easy. No sparks. Not yet." Matt whispered, watching Hiccup closely.

Toothless then began to glide in a large circle, slowly descending and not making his legendary scream when diving at high speeds. Wasatch followed closely; as did Windshear, Stormfly, and Meatlug.

Slowly circling down, they could see torches from a few patrols along the wall of the village, with the arena being dark and lit with only a handful of fires. Hiccup then waved his hand and then pointed down at something. Heather and Matt looked to see exactly where he was pointing. In-between stadium like seating for the arena, and a smaller wall, it was barely visible with the torches lights posted around the area. It was a perfect place to land and hide.

Toothless then dropped straight down, careful not to create any noise that would tip off their arrival. With the other dragons following closely, they all landed at their designated spot. Freezing in place, they all waited to see if anyone was nearby or had heard them.

"Hear anything?" Matt asked quietly, slowly stepping off of Wasatch.

"Nothing. At least not yet…" Heather whispered back.

"Alright, bud. Stay here and wait for us. We'll be back…" Hiccup whispered, patting Toothless as he walked to the edge of their cover. Pulling out the Dragon Blade, he simply peered around the edge of the seating.

"Right behind you, Hiccup." Matt quietly assured, readying his hatchet and sliding right behind him. "Let's get them back."

Heather also slid behind him, only nodding to them that she too was ready.

"Alright, I see a single guard at the far end of the arena. Likely guarding the pathway to get in here."

"Do you see a tunnel or something that leads somewhere?" Heather asked.

"I see a doorway in the actual arena. Means we'll have to get creative to get out, but I'm willing to bet that's where we need to go."

"Alright then, move ahead and I'll cover your six." Matt whispered quietly.

Hiccup then jogged towards the pit that made the arena. Sliding under the chain net that lay over the arena, he let himself slide down the wall until he reached the ground. Freezing in place, he listened for anything that would signal that someone was either nearby, or had heard them.

"Gah!" Matt gasped out, landing next to him. Rubbing his leg, he clenched his teeth shut to keep him from shouting in pain. "That…really hurt!" He groaned through his gritted teeth.

"How bad is it?" Hiccup whispered, kneeling down next to him. Heather also slid down, landing quietly and smoothly next to them.

"It's fine. Just landed on it wrong." He huffed, shaking his head to shake off the rough landing. "Hmm, it's a pretty clean arena…"

He wasn't wrong. The floor was swept and smooth. Hardly a sign that it was even used. The walls looked polished, having the slightest hint of a reflection in them. The dragon cages on the opposite side of the arena were also very clean looking, as if the wood was freshly stained and the iron fittings were replaced.

"It was like this when I was last here." Hiccup whispered. Pulling Matt up to his feet, he continued to say. "When we pulled Ukiah out of here…"

"Guys, maybe a later?" Heather hissed, pushing them towards the single door in the wall of the arena.

"Right, this way! Come on!"

"I hope the door's unlocked. Might be making a racket trying to get it open." Matt replied grimly, eyeing the sides of the arena for any sign of a guard.

Hiccup was the first to arrive. Grabbing the handle, he gently pulled on it. It slightly moved, but refused to open.

"Urgh, of course." Heather whispered angrily, looking at the crack between the door and the frame.

"See anything that could help us open it quietly?" Matt asked, walking up next to her.

"Not really. It's got a single latch on the inside. That much I can see." She huffed in an annoyed tone. "Not exactly helpful."

"What kind of latch?" He asked, kneeling next to her.

"A bar. Not big, but it looks like it slides back."

"Let me take a shot at it."

Stepping aside, both Heather and Hiccup watched Matt flip open his knife. Getting closer, he wedged the blade through; rocking it up and down, trying to get it farther in the crack. They watched anxiously as he pulled certain faces as he worked.

"…almost…that's right…" He whispered to himself. "…no, no, no! Don't do that. Yes…that's right…a little more."

"He gets that from you, you know that right?" Heather whispered to Hiccup with a teasing smirk on her face.

Hiccup simply rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Matt.

"Man, am I good or what?" He scoffed as he folded his knife. Grabbing the handle, he smiled as he pulled it open.

Ccccreeeaaaakkkkk!

Everyone flinched as the door echoed in the arena. What was worse was what they heard after: "Huh? What was that?"

"Quick! Inside!" Matt whispered frantically.

The three instantly slipped through the open door, barely big enough for them to pass through without needing to open it wider. Both Matt and Hiccup gently pulled it back, trying to keep it from creaking again.

"Hmmm…" A voice called out, sounding like it was just above where they were.

Holding their breaths, they all waited for something to signal that the guard left.

"Ugh, the invasion's got me wound up…"

All at once, the three let out a huge sigh of relief as they could hear the guard walk away.

"Let's not let you open up any more doors. Okay?" Heather whispered, glaring at Matt angrily. "That almost blew our cover!"

"My bad!" He quickly replied. "But I did get the door open. Can't get mad at me with that!"

"Shh. Come on. These tunnels head towards the same direction as the Keep…this has to be where they have their cells." Hiccup whispered, staring down the dark hallway. In the distance, they could see a handful of torches, keeping where they were standing dark and hidden. Next to the torches, were two guards, obviously looking bored with their post.

"Ten bucks that they're near where they have torches lit." Matt whispered, sliding his hatchet out of its holster.

"I'm guessing that's why there's guards posted outside of it." Heather whispered quietly, also grabbing her axe. "How do we want to get them without raising the alarm?"

Hiccup began to rack his head. "We can use the dark to run at them and hit them before they can react. They can't take three of us, especially since they aren't expecting anything."

"Ahem…I have a better idea."

Both Hiccup and Heather turned to Matt, who was simply smiling at them.

"Being…what then?" Heather asked, looking at him skeptically.

Matt let out one of his careless smiles grow on his face. Without saying a word, he reached for one of the cell doors and gently pulled it open, having learned his lesson earlier. "Seems they don't lock their cell doors. Perfect place to hide when the guards run past chasing after something."

"That…might work! We just need a distraction." Hiccup replied excitedly.

Matt shook his head as he grabbed the two of them and pushed them into the cell. "Wait here, and wait for the guards to pass by. I'll stop a little ways down so you can hit 'em from behind."

"Matt-" Heather tried to shout, though it was more of a hiss.

Too late. He was already jogging down the hallway with a skip in his step, though it could be his limp that he learned to mask when his leg was aggravated.

"I'm going to kill him." She growled, shaking her head as she watched him get closer to the guards.

"If the guards don't beat you to it." Hiccup whispered, also watching Matt with angst.

The two simply peeked around the door, watching him get closer and closer. Right until they could hear his voice.

"Sup! Can you guys be bros and tell me where to find a certain blonde, beautiful, strong Viking warrior? And a large, friendly man as well? I'm sure they're down here somewhere."

"You! Rider, halt!"

"Mmmmm…nah!" He teased, turning around and sprinting away from them.

"Come back here!" One of the guards shouted, as the two of them chased after him.

Both Hiccup and Heather sunk back behind the door, hearing Matt get closer. Heather gripped her axe with a death grip, waiting for the moment to help him. There he was! Running past the door, he kept on going! She could hear the guards approaching, thanks to the armor they wore. Gritting her teeth, she swung her axe as hard as she could, catching one of the guards in the chest.

"Gaghk!" He gasped, completely taken off guard from the hit.

The other guard stumbled over his comrade, crashing and rolling on the ground.

Hiccup was first to react, as he leapt past Heather and drove the hilt of his sword into the guard's head.

"Ooogghfff…" He groaned, falling limp at the hit.

"Quick! Hide 'em in the cell!" Matt replied, running back to them.

Heather was already on it. Grabbing the guard's hand that she…killed, she pulled him into the cell. Hiccup and Matt tag teamed with the other, dropping him alongside.

"I'll take these." Hiccup announced, kneeling down and taking the keys latched to one of the guard's belt.

"Come on! Let's go!" Heather growled, jogging out of the cell.

Both Matt and Hiccup followed, which Hiccup whirled around and began to lock the door. Heather took the moment to smack Matt in the shoulder.

"Grrrhhh…should I ask what that was for?" He growled, scrunching an eye as he glared at her.

"For being you." She replied with a small smile.

Hiccup then turned and ran down the hallway, towards the cell that the guards were protecting. Both Matt and Heather followed, with Matt favoring his leg a little bit. As they arrived at the door, they all stared at it in wonder. It was bigger, and didn't have any windows or slots in it to look inside.

"They're in here…Astrid has to be in here…" Hiccup whispered frantically, not helping his fingers as he fumbled with the key and the locked door.

Holding their breath and their weapons, Matt and Heather watched as Hiccup finally unlocked it. Not trying to be subtle, he pushed it open and ran in.

"Hiccup?!"

"Fishlegs! You're okay! Where's Astrid?" Hiccup cried out, running past all the torture devices, and to his friend's cell.

Not saying anything, he simply looked down and pointed to the side of the room.

Whirling around, they all gasped as they saw Astrid hanging there. Her shirt was stained red, with a small trickle of blood dripping from her cheek down her neck. Her hair was a mangled mess, with hardened blood sticking to her long strands of hair.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried, rushing to her and holding her up.

Heather swiped the keys from Hiccup, using them to unlock the cuffs around her wrists while Matt rushed to where the chains were pulled tight. Letting out some slack, he watched as Hiccup gently laid her down, letting her head lay in his lap.

"I-I tri-tried to stop them!" Fishlegs said aloud. "But they wouldn't listen to me after I said I'd talk!"

Uncuffing her friend, Heather was the first to respond. "It's alright, Fishlegs…there was nothing you could do-wait. What did you tell them?"

Fishlegs swallowed. "About what we knew of the Dragon eye. And they took the Dragon book. I'm so sorry, but they were going to kill her!"

Matt and Heather looked at each other, knowing that Fishlegs really had no choice; but if Darien really had the Dragon Book, it might as well have been the Dragon Eye. Everything they learned was in there.

"I might have also said that Snotlout and the twins went to defend Bruvos' kingdom too…" Fishlegs added, still looking sheepish about the whole thing. "I don't think they suspect being attacked by them."

"It's all good, Fishlegs. We know that you didn't have a choice." Matt replied, kneeling down to help Hiccup with Astrid. "At least they won't expect Auger coming from behind."

Hiccup never heard the conversation. He could only stare at Astrid with fear and anxiety. The cuts, the blood, all seemed to make the sight even more nightmarish for him. "Astrid…" He whispered, careful not to bump or jostle her. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner…"

Matt was busy inspecting the long slash down her leg, grimacing as he felt how deep it was. "She's not walking out of here on her own. That leg needs to be stitched before she puts any weight on it."

"I'll carry her." Hiccup whispered, wiping the blood off her cheek to try and clean her up a little. Looking up at Fishlegs, he quietly asked. "Who did this?"

Before he could answer, Heather started to make way towards him. "Come on, we need to get out of here while we still have the cover of night! Then we can worry about finding who did this to her."

Looking away sheepishly, feeling bad about that he couldn't do anything, Fishlegs noticed something quietly slip through the doorway into the room. "Ah! Look out!"

Everyone whirled around to see a larger figure standing there. Glaring at them, the person slammed the door shut behind him and latched it, locking them in with him. The man carried a large, decorative kite shield and simple war axe. Even in the dim light, Hiccup instantly picked up on who he was. "Ugo…" He growled with a darkened expression.

"Just as Darien predicted…you came. Almost all of you. The ones that matter at least." He growled, rolling his shoulders and letting a loud cracking sound echo in the room. "I'm going to have fun killing you. Those that might survive…well, this room will be where you'll be strapped to a rack and be tortured for the rest of your days. Or at least, the rest of Thariin's days."

"I'll kill you for doing this to her!" Heather shouted, dropping the keys and drawing her axe.

"That wasn't me, my dear…" Ugo growled in a cold tone. "That was all Darien and Zekir. It didn't take them long to break her or your friend there."

Fishleg's hung his head, hating the truth in his statement.

Matt's blood ran cold. Of course Darien did this. It shouldn't have been a surprise.

Hiccup gently set Astrid's head down as he stood up to help face the Champion of Thariin. "Either way, we can't forgive you…we never did anything to you!"

"So you believe." Came the swift reply. "You Riders ruined Zekir. Ruined Thariin. Our downfall has all been because of you!"

"After you invaded us! And exploited Bruvos to help you attack us! Not to mention what Strogg did to us! To me!" Matt scoffed. "Ooh, look at me! I'm the victim!"

"Enough! You die here, Riders!" He roared as he charged the three.

"Gah! Look out!" Heather shouted, rolling to evade the attack.

Matt quickly spun around a pillory, using it to block the strike from Ugo. The war axe smashed into the temporary cover, sending splinters everywhere!

Hiccup pressed the button on his Dragon Blade, letting fire rush down the blade. Gritting his teeth, he thrust the sword straight at Ugo.

Ugo responded by swinging his shield across, striking the blade and pushing it away from him. The move left Hiccup open, which Ugo began to swing his war axe back, ready to sink it into Hiccup's shoulder.

"No!" Matt shouted, thrusting his hatchet out and using the head to catch the axe. Turning away the blow of the strike, he was able to divert the attack away from Hiccup, but the force of the hit ripped the hatchet out of his hand and away from him.

"Grrr…" Ugo growled, pulling his arm back and back handing Matt in the face.

"Gah!" Stumbling back, he was able to get his senses back to know that Ugo wasn't following up another swing after stunning him.

Hearing Heather charge him from behind, Ugo swung his shield around just in time to stop the axe. "You die next, Berserker!"

"Hah! Good luck!" She replied with a smirk.

Suddenly the shadows shifted as a light moved behind him, making Ugo swing his axe back at Hiccup whose face was clear as day in the Dragon Blade's fire. It was dark and angry. The sight was a rare one for Hiccup, meaning he was angry.

Ping!

The blades bounced off each other, spreading fire and briefly making the dark room brighter.

Matt flipped his knife out and was flanking Ugo, as was Heather and Hiccup. The three circled him, all ready to strike at the same time. Heather spun her axe as she walked, glaring at him with hate and anger. "It's going to be harder than you think…" She growled, challenging Ugo's claim.

"You've gotten stronger, Hiccup Haddock…" Ugo growled, focusing on him. Bracing himself by raising his shield and readying his war axe, he continued to growl. "Stronger than when I first faced you and your friends."

Hiccup didn't say anything. He let his face darken as he prepared for Ugo to make the first move. The memory of Strogg attacking his home; almost capturing Astrid; followed with being captured himself as well as Toothless; and then almost killing Ukiah; had all resurfaced in his mind with a burning frustration.

"…but I'm stronger…stronger than you. Your friends. Even your dragons. After I finish you three…I'm going to kill Ukiah! For the sake of being born and being the downfall of my home…and there's nothing you can do about it. You should have killed him when you learned who he was…" He whispered coldly.

"And then been like you? Like Strogg?" He replied with a resolute tone. "Besides that, he's been more of a friend than you ever would. Even if he wasn't in our lives."

"Then die!" Almost instantly, Ugo swung his leg low, catching Heather behind her legs and tripping her onto her back. With the same momentum, he swung his shield at Matt, stopping him and hitting him directly with the force of a wall falling on someone.

"Raggh!" He shouted as he tumbled end over end, being sent rolling into the bars that made up Fishlegs' cell. Hiccup tried to thrust his sword again at him, but Ugo twisted his axe in a way that the sword's blade was locked under the axe head.

"Give me a moment to deal with you." Ugo whispered, shoving Hiccup away from him but keeping his blade locked in his axe. Without a second thought, he turned around and stomped on Heather's arm, forcing her to let go of her axe.

"Gah!" She cried out as she cradled it into her chest to help with the pain.

With the same speed as when he started the fight, Ugo kicked the axe away from her, sending it skidding to the other side of the room. Without needing to double check, he whirled around to face Hiccup, who was still trying to free his locked blade. Pushing him back, he overpowered and ran him over, sending him end over end and forcing him to drop his sword.

Finally stopping and pushing Hiccup away from his friends, he barked at him with a fury that was part of the reason why he was named a Champion of Thariin. "Stay down, welp! I want to make you suffer later!" With that, he kicked him in the side, leaving him there gasping for breath and stunned. "At least until I kill these two…"

"Urgh, Matt!" Heather shouted, rolling to her feet. "We need to work together!"

"You think?" He growled sarcastically, also stumbling to his feet. Checking his grip on his knife, he began to circle around a table laid out with multiple kinds of blades and small knives; clearly used for torture. Standing alongside Heather, he simply waited for her to get ready to receive the raging warrior. "Are you okay?" He followed up with, watching Ugo slowly make his way to them.

Heather snatched a knife from another nearby table, being the closest weapon she could get. Testing the blade, she frowned as she felt it was duller than she would have liked. "I'm fine, but I'm going to need a real weapon if we're going to win this."

"Then get your axe! I'll keep him busy!" He hissed, watching the champion close the gap between them The fire from the Dragon Blade lay behind him, making Ugo a black silhouette that was slowly approaching them.

"You sure-"

"Just do it!" He roared, grabbing the table next to him and hurling it over to slow Ugo.

Ugo used his shield to brace himself against the table, stopping it from actually hitting him. The knives and tools clattered all over the floor, creating a disorienting noise in the room. Ignoring the mess and obstacle, he planted his foot on the overturned table and kicked it, sending it sliding into Matt.

"Rrr…" He growled after getting pushed over by the force of the hit. Rolling away, he looked up to see Ugo glaring at him as he continued to walk towards him. "Bring it on…" He growled, flipping the knife in his hand. Holding it by the blade, he then hurled it straight at Ugo, sinking right into his stomach. At the same time, his leg felt like a lightning bolt had ripped through it. Brace or not, he was exerting a lot more than usual.

"Argh! Brat!" Ugo screamed, feeling the blade sink in him.

"Grrr…Astrid taught me how to do that. Poetic justice I think." Matt growled, staying on his knees and gripping his leg in agony. Behind Ugo, he saw Heather grab her axe, and already making her way behind Ugo. Dragging his leg, he kept on drawing Ugo's attention as he backed up. All he had to do was make sure he never saw her. To his surprise though, Ugo charged Matt like an angry bull, relentless and past feeling. Dropping his shield, he grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall behind.

"Aghk!" He choked out, trying to pry at the grip around his throat.

"Matt!" Fishlegs shouted, watching helplessly behind the bars.

"Do you feel it? That helpless feeling as you watch your life slip away?!" Ugo roared, almost in hysteria. Ignoring the fact that his eyes were starting to roll back, he tightened his grip around Matt's throat. "That's how I feel! Watching Thariin prepare for an invasion we cannot win! Watching us slowly die! Because of this, I'll send you and all your dragon loving friends to Helheim myself-Agh!"

"Let him go!" Heather shouted frantically, slashing her axe across Ugo's back.

Through fading vision, Matt watched Ugo get a wild look in his eyes before he dropped him. Whirling around, swung the flat side of his axe with all his strength to smash Heather's armor along her right arm.

Heather gasped at the hit, feeling the force shatter her Razorwhip arm guards and broke a piece of her shoulder guard off. Flying through the air, she crashed into a stretch rack, toppling her over as she rolled over it. Her grip on her axe loosened, as the pain from being hit riveted through her body.

"You'll die first!" Ugo roared, chasing her to where she landed.

Matt slowly rolled to his knees. Breathing deeply the rich air, he looked up to see Ugo grabbing Heather by her shoulder, he pinned her against the wall and held her out in front of him. Matt scrambled for something, anything! Then he saw it. His hatchet that was pulled out of his hands lay right in front of him.

"Good-bye…Rider." Ugo growled, resting his axe's edge across Heather's throat.

Heather could only glare at Ugo. Just as she felt the blade begin to rub against her neck, she was shocked to see Ugo cry out in pain. It wasn't hard to see why, as Matt's hatchet had sunk itself right into Ugo's shoulder, being the one holding Heather up. Dropping to her feet, she was pushed against the wall as he leaned heavily against her. Struggling to push him off, she saw the answer to her problem. Snatching Matt's knife still sticking out of Ugo, she jerked it out of him. With all the force she could muster, she then rammed it up Ugo's chin to push him off of her.

"…ugahahh…" He gasped out, stunned as his body slowly realized what had happened. Staring into nothing, the Champion of Thariin slowly slid to the side, falling over and crashing into the ground.

Heather continued to breathe deeply, recovering from the close call and fight. Gripping Matt's knife in hand, she shook her head as she started to stumble away from Ugo's lifeless body.

"Heather! Are you alright?!" Matt gasped, limping towards her while rubbing his throat.

"I'm fine…your knife saved me." She whispered, handing it back to him. "Go check on Hiccup. I'll get Fishlegs out. Then let's get out of here."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Heather simply nodded, leaning against a table to catch her breath. "Go help Hiccup. He's struggling to stand up. I'll get Fishlegs out."

Reluctantly, Matt turned to leave her and limped to where Hiccup was still trying to get onto his feet. Kneeling next to him, he grabbed his arm to help him up.

"Agh! Careful!" He cried out, flinching vividly. Gripping his side, he growled. "I think he broke a rib. It's hard to breathe…"

"Great. That's all you need right now." Matt huffed, being a lot more careful with him.

"Is he gone? Did you beat him?"

"He's dead. He was about to kill me and Heather. She's the reason why we won though."

Finally standing up, he looked to see Ugo's body lying on the ground. Frowning, he could only shake his head. "I wish it didn't have to come to that…"

"He wanted to kill you. All of us actually! He broke your rib, gave me a good strangling, and was going to slit Heather's throat open!" Matt argued, helping him walk. "We did what we had to!"

Hiccup didn't say anything. Limping along with Matt, he took his eyes off Ugo to see Fishlegs run up to him. "Hiccup! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Fishlegs. Let's just get out of here."

"I got Astrid." Heather replied, kneeling down to pick her up. "Our dragons are near the arena. We'll be able to slip out before anyone else notices us!"

"Oh Meatlug…I bet she's been worried! Was she?"

"Aside from all of us, yeah, she was." Matt huffed, checking his grip on Hiccup.

Looking sheepishly, Fishlegs turned to his three friends. "Uh…thanks. You know, for helping us back there."

"Fishlegs, come on." Heather grunted as she checked her grip on Astrid. "You're our friend. We'd expect the same from you."

"Come on, let's get out of this nightmare." Hiccup groaned, limping alongside Matt.

"You mean hell hole?" Matt grunted.

Fishlegs ran to the door, sliding the latches open and unlocking it. Opening it up, he peeked around the corners. "Thank Odin, it's all clear." He replied with relief.

The party slowly made their way down the hallway, with Heather being extra careful with Astrid. The closer they got to the door leading out, the more relieved they felt. At least, until they got close enough where they started to hear something just outside of it.

"Uh…what's that?" Heather asked, trying to focus on the sound and keep Astrid stable.

"Growling?" Fishlegs suggested, though looking confused.

"It…sounds like…cheering…" Hiccup whispered his face paling.

Matt had a pit in his stomach as he gently pushed Hiccup away from him. Grabbing the handle on the door, he slowly opened it up. The sight made his heart sink.

Standing all around the arena, were guards and villagers. As the door opened wider, they all erupted into cheering.

As the door continued to reveal the sight they could see the sky was dark grey, with a hint of orange in the sky; signaling that morning was very close.

"…Our dragons…" Heather choked out.

In the center of the arena, layered in nets, were their dragons. Wasatch was radiating lighting, with two guards' bodies lying nearby. However, they were still able to get him down there.

Hiccup slowly stepped out into the arena, limping and holding his side where he was hurting. The others closely followed, knowing that going the other way would be pointless, as the Keep was sure to send guards to push them out into the arena. Or lock them up.

Making their way to their dragons, they simply watched the crowd continue to cheer and shout at the apparent participants.

"Well, I guess it's kind of how I envisioned myself dying." Matt replied, spinning around to look at the crowd behind them.

"It is?" Fishlegs asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Matt nodded. "Yeah, maybe a little less bloody, but I thought I'd die doing a snowboard competition. Breaking my neck trying to land a trick; being cheered on by hundreds of strangers. To be fair, I guess that should have changed when I decided to live here."

"A little grim, don't you think?" Heather whispered as she knelt down to rest Astrid.

Before he could reply, a voice called out above them. "Well, I guess we'll have an early morning show after all. I was afraid we were going to have to wait a while longer."

Everyone turned to see a certain person, sitting on a throne like seat. Matt stared at him, unsure of who he was seeing. It…looked like Zekir, and then it didn't at the same time. He looked smaller, and was lacking…something.

"I'm excited. Been awhile since we've had fresh dragons. And fresh criminals." Zekir laughed as he settled down in his seat.

"I wouldn't say we're fresh." Matt yelled loudly as he limped alongside Hiccup. "Criminals is a bit of stretch too."

Ignoring him, Zekir continued to shout a narrative of the situation. "Dragon Riders and their pets, pitted against wild and angry dragons. Fighting to the death until either side runs out of contenders, can't wait to see how this ends." Looking at the crowd, he shouted. "Who else is excited to see this? The Riders responsible for our defeat at Berk, aiding our attackers; killed in our own arena, by the very beasts they would have used against us?"

The crowd erupted into a cheer, excited for the show.

"Get our dragons out of those nets." Hiccup replied, limping up towards the apparent leader.

"Hiccup! We can't hurt whatever dragons they send at us!" Fishlegs cried out.

"I know, Fishlegs. Just get our dragons free." Came the solemn reply.

Making sure Astrid would be alright by herself, Heather and Fishlegs went to do so. Matt followed Hiccup, staring at Zekir as if it would help him figure out what was off with him.

"We never wanted to fight you. You attacked us!" Hiccup began to call out. "We only wanted our friends back!"

The crowd instantly booed, shouting obscenities at the two.

"Which explains why you are helping those that would otherwise kill all of us." Zekir retorted, smiling down at Hiccup. "You're an enemy as much as Bruvos and his people are; regardless of who attacked first."

Before Hiccup could reply or argue, Matt then saw something that tipped him off. Or rather, didn't see someone. "Where's Darien? I thought she'd love to see us, especially me, get shredded by the dragons that she gave you. It's surprising she's not willing to do it herself actually."

"Darien? Sh-she's otherwise busy. Helping prepare for the assault." Zekir replied, choking a little bit.

Hiccup instantly picked up on what Matt was bringing up.

Matt shook his head. "Where is she, Zekir? She wanted to end me herself. She wouldn't want me to die any other way except by her hands, or her dragon, only."

"I-I…uh…"

"Do you even know who we are?" Hiccup asked, seeing the crowd slowly start to die down as the conversation continued on.

"You are Dragon Riders! Killers and murderers!"

The crowd roared in approval at the statement, clearly showing how eager they were to watch the fight.

"Who told you that? Darien?" Matt rebutted. Stepping closer to 'Zekir', he repeated Hiccup's question. "Who are we? Not just what we do. What are our names? Why does Darien hate me so much?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as they turned to wait for their chief to answer the questions.

Zekir simply swallowed, frantically thinking of what to say.

That nailed it for Matt. "You're not Zekir…are you?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then where are your two swords? Why aren't you in here gutting me yourself? Like you wanted to!"

The man on the throne started to shake at the accusation.

"I almost killed the one that you took in! The one that the real Zekir took care of at least." He continued to shout. "That's why I know you're not Zekir! Zekir would have let Darien kill me herself after what I did to her! They're not here, are they?"

The crowd began to shout in confusion, all looking at their 'chief' and leader. Or at least the one that sat in the chief's seat.

"They left! They left because they knew we were coming and couldn't fight us!" Matt shouted, turning to look at the crowd. He had them. He could make them turn on themselves until they escaped! "Look at him! Look at him closely! He's not your chief! Your chief abandoned you!"

Everyone began to shout. Some to Matt, for trying to turn them against their leader; others crying in shock as they began to see the truth.

Heather and Fishlegs finished pulling off the nets from their dragons, which roared angrily for being trapped. Each one then ran to their respective Riders, with Stormfly trying to help the unconscious Astrid.

"Sure, you can end us. Execute us even." Matt shouted to the crowd, limping to Wasatch. "But if your chief lied to you about staying and fighting for you, think of all the lies he spread about us!"

"Enough!" The fake Zekir shouted. "Archers! Just kill them!"

It was too late. People were all shouting at the imposter, creating a frenzy between them and the guards. Fights were breaking out between them, with most of the people running out of the arena. A few guards had heard the order though, who instantly began to notch some arrows.

"Take cover!" Hiccup shouted, getting shielded by Toothless.

Everyone's dragon covered their respective Rider, with Heather pulling Fishlegs under Windshear's metallic wings.

Matt fell under Wasatch, crashing onto the ground and being covered by him. Hearing some arrows fail to pierce Wasatch's hide, he shouted out loud so that the imposing chief could hear him. "Where are they?! Where did Zekir and Darien go?!"

The imposter stared at the purple dragon, who was simply ignoring the arrows that either bounced off or had very shallowly stuck to him. It was a nightmare! How were they to stop these dragons?!

"Hiccup!"

A single voice boomed over the crowd, making the few that were paying attention gasp in shock.

A single dragon with three tails hovered over the crowd. On its back was a person wielding a crossbow. They both look angry, seeing the dragons and Riders in the arena.

A single guard sent an arrow at the new dragon, pricking it in the leg.

Roaring angrily, the dragon blasted where the guard was with a cone like blast. Those in the crowd that werent' fighting instantly began to run away, leaving only those fighting the guards and the dragons in and out of the arena.

"Ukiah?!" Hiccup shouted, peeking out from Toothless' wing.

Staring at the new Rider in horror, the imposter was about to shout at his men to shoot down the dragon. Before he could mutter a cry though, a loud bell began to sound in the distance. It was shortly followed up with another, though sounding closer. And then again, and again, and again! Until the air was rich with panicked sounding alarms. The fighting had almost magically ceased as they crowds took a moment to realize what they meant. It even made them ignore the dragon flying above them.

They would have all stood there had a guard not shouted: "We're under attack! Ships are incoming! Get to your posts!"

The crowds panicked, realizing what was happening. Guards were rushing to their positions, all while ignoring the captives they had in the arena and the dragon above.

Having Wasatch step away from him, Matt watched as the fake chief ran away with a few guards with him. Shaking his head at the fact he couldn't get answers from him right then, he turned to look up at Ukiah. "Timely arrival! We ready to go?"

"Hold on!" Ukiah shouted. Pointing at the support beams holding the chain net, he then ordered Lasher to strike at it.

The Triple Stryke roared angrily as it fired another cone like fire blast at it, setting it ablaze and breaking it in half. An entire section of the net fell, to which the Riders in the arena guided their dragons towards. Ukiah himself had already landed there by the time they were near the opening.

"What happened? Is Astrid okay?" He cried out, shocked to see her carried by Heather.

"She needs some attention. I'll take her to Bruvos' ship." She replied wearily. "Thanks for the save, Ukiah. We were going to have to get creative to get out that mess you found us in."

Ukiah didn't say anything. Staring at all the slashes and cuts on Astrid, he couldn't help but feel a cold, angry, calm feeling rush over him. "…I'm going to rip them in half…" He growled. Grabbing Astrid from Heather, he began to take to Lasher. "I'll take her away. Then I'll join up with you guys. You should all work on destroying the catapults on the Keep. It'll help Bruvos' men down at the docks and divert attention away from them."

"Matt and Heather, you're with me." Hiccup quickly instructed as he tenderly climbed on Toothless. His face was dark and reserved, showing that he was ready to fight. "Avoid homes and houses. Only go for soldiers and catapults! Fishlegs! Go help Bruvos' men at the docks! Have Meatlug eat any boulders catapulted at them! Ukiah, take down catapults wherever you see them! Let's hope Auger and his men are nearby. We could use Snotlout and the twins."

"Got it, Hiccup!" Ukiah yelled as Lasher rocketed into the air, followed by Stormfly. Fishlegs also chased after them, knowing he needed to go help Bruvos as soon as he could.

Matt also nodded in understanding with the instructions. It was supposed to be a battle for Zekir and Darien, who were obviously somewhere else. Killing people would be the last thing they wanted to do, even Bruvos would have to agree with that. "I'm ready when you are, Hiccup!"

"Then let's go win a battle!" He roared, launching into the air.

Both Matt and Heather followed after, leaving behind a burning arena that remained abandoned.

As the three leveled off, they could see Bruvos' fleet just outside of the harbor. Fire catapults were being launched by the attackers and defenders, already creating a smoky sky.

"Alright! On me! This is for what they did to Astrid!" Hiccup shouted, letting Toothless dive down at a large catapult below.

Without saying anything, both Matt and Heather also dove down after him, chasing the screaming Night Fury. And like that, they entered the fray.

* * *

 _ **Man, I don't know why that chapter was so hard to write. Sorry for the long awaited update, I was slammed with work, school, and writer's block. Not a good combo to put out chapters. Also, forgive me for any grammatical errors. I've seen so many in the past chapters I posted that I know this will have a few as well. Thanks for the support and hope you enjoyed it!**_


	12. Chapter 12: Fulfilling Destiny

**Chapter Twelve: Fulfilling Destiny**

* * *

"Lydia! Get down!"

Instantly obeying the order, she hurled herself behind a stack of barrels. Two arrows sank into the dock where she was standing just seconds ago. Gasping for breath, she silently sent a prayer of thanks to the gods. Checking her grip on her axe, she peeked around the corner of her cover. Thariin soldiers were all along the walls overlooking the docks, armed with crossbows, bows, slings, and even some ballistae launchers.

"Princess Lydia!" One of her men cried, skidding on his knees next to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She huffed, resting against the barrels as she heard a few more arrows hit her cover. She could see their ships slowly take turns moving in an out of the harbor, unloading their troops and launching catapults at the walls ramparts. It was whittling down the walls slowly, but not fast enough to make a push into the city. Until something happened to push the battle in their favor, they were sitting ducks.

Crack!

Lydia and her lone soldier gaped as a ballista bolt pierced the barrel above her, almost making a clean cut through it.

"We need to stop those launchers!" She shouted.

"Aye, but first we need to get to a safe distance, come on!" The soldier growled, raising his shield to protect her. "Where are those riders that swore to help us?"

"They had complications with their scouting mission. They should be with us shortly!" She replied with frustration in her voice. Ducking under his shield, the two ran further down the dock, followed by a number of other soldiers as well.

As they arrived towards the end of the dock they were on, with their ship moored at the end of it, they were welcomed by an angry looking Bruvos. "Lydia! What in the gods names were you thinking? There's a reason why I told you to hold off on the charge!"

"They didn't have their ballista launchers shown. I exposed where they were hiding them!"

Grabbing her by her tunic, he dragged her back to the ship. "Ugh, I should have taken time to teach you about necessary risks…" Tossing her onto the deck, he watched her roll to a stop. "Stay put. Until we get through the wall at least."

"Dad!"

"Make sure she stays." He huffed, not even bothering to hear her out as he turned back to lead his men.

Going to run after him, she was grabbed by two of their men and held back.

"Let me go!" She shouted, feeling herself heaved back.

"Not yet, mi'lady." One of them replied, standing in front of the gangway with folded arms. "Your father gave us orders. And we plan to fulfill them."

Fuming, she could only watch as the battle continued to rage. Catapulted fireballs were being hurled from both sides, creating an eerie sight. Fires were raging from the village past the walls, and a handful of ships in the bay. Even with the clear sky and the rising sun, the day seemed to get darker as the fighting continued.

She let out a silent gasp, seeing a catapult smash into a small boat, ferrying men from a ship to the docks. Almost instantly, all while screaming, the men in it disappeared in the water, burning with the oil from the catapulted rock. Swallowing to try and stomach the sight, she slowly turned away from the fight. She had tried to prepare herself for the sights that war would bring, but it was still tough for her to experience. Then, in the distance, amidst the sounds of battle, a faint scream was heard. Her head instantly perked up. It was too significant to forget the sound. The sound of a Night Fury.

"Dragons!"

Whirling around, she watched a purple blast erupt in the middle of the village. Then she could see them! Out from the smoke-filled sky, emerged Toothless, Windshear, and Wasatch! All with their respective riders!

"Yes! Go!" She shouted excitedly, seeing them bank around the village. Windshear let loose a series of light blue blasts, creating bright flashes in the distance. The more impressive sight though, was Wasatch. Gliding in large circle above the village, the smoke filled sky slowly began to fill with lightning. Strikes seemed to randomly strike below, creating more fires and even some explosions.

"They ride those beasts?" One of the soldiers gasped out, continuing to watch them strafe the village below. "I though they just told them what to do!"

"They're called Dragon Riders for a reason." She whispered, smiling that she was able to be friends with them.

"Incoming! Two- no, three dragons! Coming around and behind us!"

Those on the deck of the ship turned to see three dragons circle around the harbor, which one of them was instantly recognized by most of the men, being Ukiah and Lasher.

"Stand down! They're friends, you fools! That's Ukiah, Fishlegs, and…Astrid?" She shouted, confused to see her not on Stormfly.

The men braced as the dragons slowly and gracefully landed on the deck, with the exception of Fishlegs, who went to go help the fight at the wall. Ukiah then slid off of Lasher, to which he then pulled Astrid off.

Lydia ran up to him with a concerned look. "Ukiah! What took you so-"

"Your healer. Where is your ship's healer?!" He shouted, cutting her off.

Taken back by the gruffness, she looked down at Astrid and gasped in horror. Aside from seeing the open cuts and bloodstained clothes, she looked like she was beat on with some bruising showing on her face, mixed with drying blood. Her hair was a mangled mess, adding to the story of what happened to her. Shaking her head to snap out of her trance, she shouted at the men with her. "Take her down below! Get her taken care of!"

Ukiah was rushed by a handful of men, who promptly snatched Astrid away from him. Watching them carry her down below, he simply shook his head in angst.

"Was it Zekir? Or Darien?" Lydia timidly asked, walking up to him with a concerned look.

He could only shrug. "I don't know. I'm sure it was. Who else would have done it?"

Looking at him with a grim expression, she could see that his armor and clothes were also stained with blood, most likely from carrying Astrid.

"Can Stormfly stay here?" He asked, turning to mount up on Lasher. "She'll be more worried about Astrid than her own safety."

"Of course! But, Ukiah!"

Climbing on his saddle, he simply stared at her to hear her out.

"Help us with the wall! We can't advance until those archers and ballista launchers are gone!"

Ukiah looked at the wall, seeing what she was pointing out. Then, seeing Hiccup guide Toothless into another dive, firing a salvo of plasma blasts, he slowly nodded. "Fine, then I'm helping Hiccup."

"Thank you." She replied.

Nodding, Ukiah turned Lasher to launch into the air. As he braced himself, he could hear in the back: "Princess! No!"

Just as he rocketed into the air, he felt someone wrap their arms around him. Surprised at being pulled back; he would have fallen off, had he not gripped the saddle. Looking behind him, he was surprised to see that Lydia had pulled herself on just as he took off.

"I'm helping fight! I'm not going to cower on my dad's boat!"

"Your dad is going to kill me." He huffed, not wanting to waste time to take her back. "Focus on spotting those that are taking aim at us! Let me know when they're going to shoot!"

Lydia nodded in acknowledgement. Peering through the pillars of smoke, she saw Lasher line up along the wall. All the guards and defenders were running back and forth, firing arrows, throwing rocks, dropping whatever they could on the assaulters. "They're too busy to notice us!"

"Hit 'em hard, Lasher…" Ukiah growled coldly.

Lasher roared with the sound of a god-like fury. The guards that reacted in time were only welcomed by a large, cone like blast. Flying just above the wall, the Triple Stryke blasted the men as he flew by. Only a handful of arrows were fired at them as they pulled up and flew higher in the sky.

"That should help." He called out, banking for another strafe. "One more."

"Then drop me off at the gate! I can open it for our men!" She shouted, feeling for her axe.

"No. Not by yourself!"

"Look out!" She cried out, wrapping her arms around him and jerking left.

Lasher instantly banked hard to the left with her pulling on Ukiah, narrowly being missed by a hail of arrows.

Flying away from the wall, Ukiah simply looked at her with slight surprise.

"You told me to watch for archers. I did." She explained. "Let me open the gate! It'll help us push Zekir's forces away and let us get a solid foothold! We can move the rest of our men from our ships without worrying about getting hit with a catapult!"

"Urgh, your dad is really going to kill me! Hold on tight!" He shouted, feeling like he owed that much to her. Lowering himself on his saddle with her still holding on, he let Lasher go into a steep dive. "Fly just above the street! Go low and fast!"

Lasher growled in acknowledgement. Falling straight down, he pulled up just feet above the wide street. The few soldiers running to reinforce the line dove out of the way, with a few acting slow enough for one of the three tails to slash at them.

"Get ready...now!" Ukiah shouted.

Lasher instantly used his wings to air brake himself, sending a powerful gust of wind at those atop of the gate and blowing them off the edge.

Ukiah then grabbed Lydia's arm, pulling her off her seat. Shocked at first, she quickly realized he was letting her down. Getting her feet ready, she felt him let go and drop her.

"Gah!" She cried, landing flat on her feet. Grimacing in pain, she tried to ignore it as she looked up to see Ukiah run off his saddle and onto the rampart above her. Knowing that he was dealing with the guards above her to buy time, she sprinted to the bar laid across the gate. "Come on!" She grunted, grabbing it and trying to lift it up.

"Oh no ya' don't!"

Forgetting the bar, she instantly ducked in time to hear something crash into the gate. Spinning away, she stared at a lone soldier pulling his mace out of the door, having left quite a mark in the heavy wooden gate. Swallowing, she drew her axe and braced herself for the inevitable fight.

The soldier charged her with the mace raised high. Lydia leaped backwards, putting a little distance between her and him. The man swung the axe down, narrowly missing her head. Shocked at how close he got, she kept backing up, right into a stack of crates. The man never slowed down, as he swung the mace in an upwards direction. Lydia ducked the attack, spinning around the man while swinging her axe out.

"Agh! You witch!" The soldier shouted, feeling the axe slice into his leg.

Again, Lydia backed off, preparing for another onslaught of attacks.

"Oh, you've done it now…" The man growled, limping after her.

Lydia then noticed something that made her heart sink. Some of the men that were in the streets were arriving to help their friend, being four of them. As they surrounded her, they began to corner her against the gate, all with drawn weapons and some with shields.

"Keep her alive. She's a looker…" The original soldier growled, his eyes growing evil as they revealed his intentions. "Make sure you don't bloody her too much. Want her to keep her face somewhat intact…"

Her blood ran cold. Gripping her axe, she knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Aarrgrrraooohhh!"

A large, purple and yellow dragon dropped out of the sky, behind the soldiers. Spinning around, its three tails slashed three of the men that were closest to it. The remaining two whirled around, completely taken off guard from the new arrival. Lydia used this chance to swing her axe at the one that she was originally fighting, dragging the axe down the soldier's back from his shoulder, clear to the hip.

"Gaaaggghhh!" He wailed, falling onto his knees and then collapsing onto the ground.

Lasher roared as he struck the last guard with his tails like a scorpion, piercing the armor and sticking him with all three barbs. Lifting up the soldier, he then threw him away from Lydia, crashing into some nearby crates.

"Whoo…thanks boy…" Lydia whispered, walking up and stroking Lasher's head. "Second time you saved me from Thariin soldiers."

Lasher simply growled happily, enjoying her affection.

"Waaghh!"

Both their attention was directed to a single soldier flailing through the air, crashing into the ground next to them. Ukiah then dropped himself from on top, rolling with his inertia to break the landing.

Another soldier jumped out from behind some crates, charging where Ukiah had landed. Thrusting his sword forward, he aimed right for his chest.

Ukiah used his remaining inertia to spin around the blade, letting it graze his chainmail armor. Gritting his teeth, he swung his crude sword has hard as he could at the soldier who was leaping backwards. The blade nicked the soldier's arm, cutting past the leather armor and drawing some blood.

"Ukiah!" Lydia yelled, seeing him still contend with the soldier.

Not saying anything, he circled with the soldier, who was spinning his sword in his hand. Then, like one of Wasatch's lightning strikes, lunged forward to stab Ukiah's heart.

Ukiah read the attack, as he was already swinging his sword to counter the strike. Then, instead of slashing at the soldier, he swung his leg around, catching him from behind and sending him on his back. Without a moment's hesitation, he drove his knee and sword into the chest of the fallen soldier, silencing him forever.

Taking a moment to breathe, he turned to see Lydia and Lasher staring at him with surprised but satisfied expressions. Even with a missing arm, he was still lethal.

"Come on! Get that gate open!" He yelled, sheathing his bloodied sword on his back.

"Right! Help me with it! It's heavy!"

Running to large bar with her, Ukiah put his shoulder under it to help lift it. Lydia used both hands, pushing up with all her might. Though being a little bit of a struggle, the two slowly lifted the bar up and out of the latches it rested in.

"Drop it on three. One, two, three!" Ukiah grunted.

The two backed off as the board crashed onto the ground. Lydia instantly reached for the gates and pushed one of them open, with Ukiah doing the other.

"Come on!" She shouted, waving at her men that were still contending with a few defenders on the wall.

Seeing the opening, most of the men began to sprint to the gate.

Backing off and standing to the side, Ukiah, Lydia, and Lasher watched as the men began to pour through the gateway. Spears, swords, axes, all kinds of weapons rushed past. At that point, they had the village. Nothing was going to kick them out without a fight.

"Lydia! What did I tell you?!"

Both Ukiah and Lydia turned to see Bruvos march towards them, escorted by two of his men. His face was red with anger, with a very visible twitching eye.

"You're not leaving home for months after we're through with this!"

"I had to help! The gate wasn't going to open itself, and we were losing men faster than we could get onto the docks!"

Bruvos growled in anger as he turned to the Dragon Rider standing nearby. "Ukiah, thank you for the help. Before you continue the attack, take my daughter back to the ship!"

Ukiah looked at Bruvos, and then at Lydia. Seeing her stare at him with fire in her eyes, he slowly shook his head. "No. I won't."

Bruvos had a vein bulge out of his neck.

"Aside from me not being a subject to you, she's the reason the gate was opened. It was her idea and frankly, she's the reason why I'm not a pin cushion right now. She saw what needed to be done. She knew what would help your fight."

"Like when I revealed the location of all those launchers!" She argued. "I want to help! You can't just keep me…locked away all the time!"

Frowning, Bruvos stared at her, obviously having an internal debate.

Suddenly, all three were pushed over, being covered by something. Crashing onto the ground, they finally realized that Lasher had tackled them and spread his wings. As soon as he started to back off, they all saw a dozen arrows scattered on the ground around them, with a few sticking out of Lasher and the saddle.

"Lasher!" Ukiah roared, standing up to knock off the arrows that had barely pierced his hide. Making sure they didn't do that much damage, he drew his crossbow off the saddle. "Argue later! We need to push while we have momentum!"

"You're right, move!" Bruvos shouted, turning to run with his men. "Lydia, stay close. I want you nearby at all times!"

"Yeah, sure thing!" She cried out happily, glad that he at least was letting her fight alongside him.

"And don't think we're done talking about this!"

Ukiah ran with Lasher, pushing aside some of Bruvos' men. If the city's layout was the same as he remembered it by, he was heading straight for the market. The sky was blackened with the smoke. The sun that was still low in the sky, shone through the smoke, making it the color of blood red. Lightning seemed to randomly strike throughout the village, adding to the hellish sight.

"Rrreeeeeeee!"

Looking up, the two watched Toothless scream by, firing two plasma blasts up the street they were running on.

"Captain! Take most of the men to secure the market and set up a rallying point! We'll be able to push through to the Keep from there!"

"Yes, King Bruvos!" A man shouted, turning to run farther up the street.

Bruvos finally caught up with Ukiah and Lasher, who had stopped to watch Hiccup continue to fly above them.

"They really are majestic creatures…" He commented, breathing hard from the running.

Before Ukiah could respond, a large lightning bolt arced across the canopy of smoke, making it look like a massive web. A single silhouette stood in the bright weave, standing on a dragon! As if absorbing the lightning, the dragon fired a large beam like bolt directly under it, revealing a large explosion from whatever it hit.

"And powerful." Ukiah added. He couldn't shake the feeling he was getting. He saw this before.

Out of the corner of their eyes, they could see more catapults firing at the Keep! The difference from these, was the fact it was coming from behind Thariin!

"Auger…" Bruvos whispered, letting a smile grow on his face. "He's attacking from behind! We got this won…"

"Not until you're in the Keep and Zekir's head is mounted on a pike." Ukiah replied coldly. Returning his attention to Hiccup and Matt above, he continued to try to recall when he saw this scene before. As he continued to internalize the sights of the apocalyptic looking sky, a single arrow drilled itself into his shoulder of his missing arm, forcing him to stumble back. "Gragh! Rrrrr…"

"Ukiah!" Lydia screamed, seeing him get hit.

Grunting, he looked at where the arrow had hit him. The Gronckle Iron chain links had done their job. The arrow lay on the ground having failed to pierce the armor.

"I'm fine…" He growled, rotating his shoulder to feel out how sore he was going to be from the hit. Stepping out of the way, he watched as a couple of Bruvos men run past him, as if retreating.

"Why are our men falling back?" Lydia asked, seeing the crowd of soldiers run back.

"My king! The forces are all pushing back on us! They're doing a counter-offensive!" A captain shouted, running past them.

"Hold the line! We know they can't push for long! Especially with Auger attacking behind them! Set up barricades! Use your shields to make a wall!" He shouted, gathering his remaining men to form up with him.

"Lasher! The awnings!" Ukiah shouted.

Lasher instantly swept the supports of nearby awnings with his tails, crashing them down and creating temporary barricades. Bruvos' men instantly crowded behind them, raising spears out and preparing for the attack.

Sure enough, a column of men came into view, running down the streets with weapons raised and shouting war cries.

Ukiah's face darkened. Running to Lasher, he leapt onto the saddle. "Come on, friend! Let's meet them first!"

"Ukiah!" Lydia shouted, watching them launch into the air and towards the charging men.

Ignoring her, he glared at the column of men. "Send 'em to Helheim..." He whispered.

Lasher fired his fire blast, sweeping the front of the charging men.

Pulling up and away, he turned to see that the column of men were still pushing through, through the front half was severely reduced and struggling to keep up with the crowd.

Lydia stared as Lasher flattened out from his climb, to which she returned her attention to the men charging. Gripping her axe, she watched her dad do the same with his sword. The men with them slung arrows at the attackers, trying to take down as many as they could. This was what she wanted. To fight alongside those from her home.

"Stay close, Lydia. For both our sakes." Bruvos instructed quietly, glancing down at her with a worried expression.

Nodding, she braced herself as the men finally fell upon the barricades. A few men jumped on the fallen awnings, trying to bring down their weapons on those behind it. Bruvos thrust his sword forward, catching a man in the chest and stopping him cold in his tracks.

Lydia swung her axe low, catching one of the men in the legs and forcing him to fall over. One of her soldiers finished him off by driving his sword into the chest of the fallen. Lydia didn't stop there. Using her axe handle, she blocked a strike from an axe, stopping it dead from its path. Not hesitating, she pulled her axe back while swinging it to the left, slashing the hands of the attacker. With the motion of the attack, and ignoring the cry of pain she cause, she used the top of her axe to push the attacker backwards, falling off the awning. "Thank you Astrid and Heather." She whispered to herself, bracing to receive more.

Bruvos raised his sword to block an attack from a soldier that had jumped in the air. Being pushed back from the force of the hit, he parried the strike and thrust his blade forward. The man slid to the side, trying to avoid the strike. Instead of sinking into his chest, the blade sliced up the side of the attacker.

Knowing he still made contact, Bruvos grabbed the hilt of his sword with his free hand. Using all his strength with both arms, he pushed his attack to the left, digging his blade deeper into him and toppling him over. Hearing an angry roar to his right, he blindly swung at the charging soldier with both hands. The sword instantly made contact with the side of the new attacker, burying itself half way through the man. The force and surprise of the hit made the man go limp, toppling over the barricade.

Breathing heavily, his blood went cold as he saw Lydia contending with a soldier that had pushed over the barricade. He was swinging an axe wildly at her, forcing her to stay defensive. Charging the man, he roared with the sound of a bear seeing its young being endangered.

Lydia watched the man's face pale, realizing he left his flank completely exposed. Whirling around, he was able to watch the sword flash across his chest and send him flying backwards. Standing to the side of where the man had fallen, she gasped as she watched three more men leap down from the barricade.

Bruvos whirled around, striking at one of the swords thrust at him. The second man swung his mace at the side of the king, making contact with the steel plated tunic and pushing him to the side.

Lydia charged forward, roaring at the top of her lungs at seeing her dad get hit. Charging the third man that was flanking her dad with a sword and shield, she raised the axe high above her head. The man instantly forgot about flanking and focused on his own attacker. Raising his shield to take the blow, he was shocked to see it splinter into pieces under the force and fury of the axe.

"You. Won't. Touch him!" She screamed, swinging her axe with every word. The strikes were furious as she poured her anger into the attacks. Each one made a connection, slashing the soldier's chest and leaving long, red streaks.

The man couldn't do anything to stop the onslaught of attacks. Each one pushed him back until he stumbled against the barrier behind him. Raising the axe above her head, Lydia roared in a hot anger as she brought it down and sank the blade in him. Breathing heavily, she stared at the lifeless eyes of who she killed. She wasn't sorry. She knew he was going to kill her dad!

Pulling her axe out, she whirled around and gasped. Her dad was still contending with the two soldiers. Focusing on parrying the attacks, he kept on backing up. All their men were busy contending with other soldiers, essentially leaving Bruvos and Lydia alone on the battlefield. The man with the mace kept on going for his exposed side every time he countered the swordsman. Forced to block a swing from the mace, Lydia watched helplessly as the swordsman thrust his blade into Bruvos, sinking it into his side.

"No!" She screamed, watching her dad fall backwards. The nearby men watched in horror as their king fell, regretting they focused on holding the line rather than protecting him.

Lydia charged the two with her axe raised above her head. With tears of panicked anger, she brought it down with all her force at the man that stabbed her dad. The man couldn't do anything to dodge or block the strike. With a horrified expression, he stared at Lydia as the axe sank into his shoulder and buried itself further. She watched the light leave his eyes, though it did nothing to comfort her regarding her dad.

"No! I'll kill 'ya me self!" The last remaining soldier shouted, turning on her with his mace already raised.

Lydia pulled her axe back, trying to block the swing. She was just a moment too late, as she blocked the arm, but the mace kept on falling.

Whump!

Her world was spinning as the mace still hit her at a lower speed. Stumbling backwards, she fell onto her back and looked up at the sky in a daze. She could make out the blurry image of the man raising the mace over her again. Her world pulsed in and out of black. At one moment, the man was over her, and the next, he was falling backwards. Confused at what had happened, she waited for the blackness to pulse again. As her vision came to, she was shocked to see that Lasher was standing over her!

Groaning, she rolled to her knees and tried to crawl from under him. She could hear someone shouting something, though honestly she could care less.

"No! Pleas-Agk!"

The sound of steel on steel echoed in her mind. The world sounded so disoriented and almost hellish. What made it worse was that she was helpless and couldn't defend herself. Not until she recovered from her hit. And then her dad! The sight of seeing him fall had made her lose all feeling.

Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her by the arms, pulling her away and onto her feet. She could tell that they were her men, as she could hear voices asking if she was alright. Shaking her head to get her bearings straight, she was rewarded with a warm feeling rushing down her face. Patting the warmth with her hand, she felt it get wet. Blood.

"Ugh…dad? Where's dad?" She groaned, closing her eyes to help shake the disorientation and bear with the growing pain.

The men helping her gestured to behind her. Turning around, she gasped as she saw him propped against a building, being surrounded by a couple of men.

"Dad!" She cried, stumbling after him. Falling onto her knees next to him, she then saw exactly what kind of injury he had.

Blood was everywhere, with the men trying to stop the bleeding. She could see him shallowly breathing, making her flooded with worry and fear.

"…Lydia…" He whispered. His eyes cracked open, giving her a brief sense of relief.

"Dad…" She choked out.

"Wh-where's Ukiah? Get him…"

Taken back by the question, she turned around to see Ukiah standing on the barricade, pulling his sword out of the man that hit her with the mace. Lasher roared loudly, sending whatever Thariin soldiers scurrying back up the street.

"Ukiah!" She cried out. "Come here!"

Frowning, he jogged towards her. Seeing Bruvos, he instantly knelt down on the other side of him. "I can get Lasher to take you to your ship."

"No…I'm a dead man with this wound. Even if I was back at my home…" He whispered. Moving his hand off where he was stabbed, he showed him exactly what happened.

Ukiah's face fell, seeing that the stab ran through him and cut viciously to the left. It was a fatal cut. One that he would have done; in fact, what he did do to a few of those that fought him.

"Dad? No! You'll be fine! Be strong!"

Bruvos coughed, visibly flinching in pain. "Lydia…you've grown so much. I don…don't know what happened to you…when you were taken from us, but…but you're different."

"Dad!"

"Ukiah" He continued to whisper. "You know how to fight. How to win. Help my men win this fight. Protect Lydia, since I won't be able too."

Ukiah swallowed, realizing what he was asking him.

Struggling, Bruvos gripped his sword's hilt, and gently pushed it towards him. "Get my people and family away from Thariin's shadow. Please…you Riders are the answer to our prayers…"

Slowly, almost reluctantly, he respectfully took the sword from Bruvos. Nearby men began to kneel, realizing their leader and king was about to pass on.

"Lydia…"

"Dad!" She choked, grabbing his neck and hugging him. "Please! Don't leave me! Don't leave Auger!"

"I love you…tell your brother I'm proud of him…an…and that…he…he's king…"

"Dad! Please!"

With what energy he had left, he raised one hand and wrapped it around Lydia. Hugging her tightly, he closed his eyes and held her. Then, ever so slowly, his arm dropped to the ground.

"No! Dad! Don't leave me!" She screamed, hugging him tighter.

Ukiah stared at Bruvos, wishing he had been able to do something, anything to help him. Seeing Lydia sob into her dad's shoulder, he couldn't help but feel the same feeling he had when he sent Arrow to Valhalla.

Boom!

A large, purple explosion sounded off at the market, making everyone turn to see Hiccup blast past, just above the buildings.

"Princess…what…what are your orders?" One of the men asked, seeing her continue to hold her dad.

Sniffing, she slowly let go of him. Wiping her nose and the blood that was still streaming down her face, she slowly turned to the men huddled around her. "My orders?" She whispered, looking at them with a resolute expression. "You heard your king." Slowly standing up, she beckoned Ukiah to do the same. "Ukiah's in charge. He gave him his sword. Ask him."

Realizing what happened, Ukiah gaped at her.

"Ukiah. What do you want us to do?" She repeated.

Almost all the nearby men turned to him, waiting to see what he would do and say.

Ukiah stared at the men, and those down the street. Then it hit him. Though not exactly what he saw, this was his dream. His vision he saw back at his home island. Back at Crev. He was living his vision!

Shaking slightly, he finally stood up tall. He was never supposed to bring back his tribe. He was supposed to lead an entirely different tribe! Staring at the sword Bruvos entrusted him, he slowly handed it to Lydia. "First, take this. It's your dad's. It means more to you than to me."

Lydia swallowed, trying to hold back the tears as she gripped the sword. The golden hilt and shining blade seemed to be dimmed with the passing of her dad, though she knew Ukiah was trying to comfort her in his own way.

Drawing his own, crudely made sword, Ukiah leaped onto the fallen awning that Lasher was standing on. Climbing on him, he stood atop his saddle so that most of the men could hear him. "I don't know why your king asked me to lead you, but if that's what he wanted, let me fulfill his dying wish."

A few men nodded in approval, though most simply listened.

"Your king is Auger now, not me! He is attacking the back side of Thariin with fewer men than we have here." He continued to say, getting louder as he went on. "We've lost a lot of men. You've lost a lot of brothers. Thariin even took your king. They've made it clear they'll take your lives if they can! All our lives!"

Men began to shout, raising shields and nodding in agreement.

"You do what you want. I'm not your king. I shouldn't be called your leader. I'm a Crevite for the god's sake. But what say you? Do you want to end this? With their blood and our iron?"

"Their blood, our iron!" The men repeated loudly. "Avenge us, Crevite! Avenge Bruvos!"

Taken back by the title and the request, Ukiah quickly raised his sword in the air. "Then let's make them give up their lives. On me! Captain, take the men you need to secure the market. Clean up any stragglers that might be spread throughout the village!"

"Of course, Crevite! Our forces secured the docks! We're ready to advance!"

"The rest of you! Charge the Keep with me!"

"Raaaggh!" The men shouted, all raising their weapons in support of him.

Lydia quickly jogged up to Ukiah, climbing on Lasher with him. "I'm going with you. They took my dad away from me. I want to make them pay with their lives."

Dropping down onto his saddle, Ukiah nodded in agreement. "Then let's go give your brother a helping hand."

At that, Lasher let out a deafening roar. Oddly, the roar was drowned out by the cries of the men behind him. Leaping off the awning, he charged up the street, followed by the stampeding men. And like that, Ukiah Legna became not known as The Last Crevite, but as The Crevite.

* * *

"Urgh! Hiccup!" Matt shouted, coasting alongside. "The walls for Auger's forces are down! They're already advancing through!"

"Bruvos was held up near the market, but it looks like they're pushing forward now." Hiccup repeated, looking down to see a column of men storm the road towards the Keep. In front were Ukiah and Lasher, and what looked like Lydia riding with them. "There aren't that many men left in the village, since they were all pulled back to push against Auger." Suddenly Hiccup grimaced in pain, which he quickly gripped his side.

"Your rib going to be okay? You need to stop flying?"

"No. I need to stay and help. Bruvos is counting on us!"

"If you say so…" Matt replied, looking worried at him.

Heather then showed up, hovering alongside Matt. "The twins and Snotlout are helping push to the Keep! We've almost got it! Fishlegs is helping the back at the market, helping the men secure it.

"Any word on Astrid?" Hiccup asked, looking at her with a worried expression.

She simply shook her head. "If Ukiah's helping charge the Keep, I'm sure he dropped her off at Bruvos' ship like he said he would."

"Hiccup, you go check on Astrid and get yourself patched up. Your rib is killing you. Heather, you come with me. The battle is over, and we still have the issue that Darien and Zekir aren't here." Matt began to instruct. "The others can help Bruvos while we're gone."

"No! Matt, don't change the plan!" Hiccup cried out, grimacing as he exerted his breath.

"I'm not changing the plan! The plan was to stop them! And now they're gone! The least we can do, is to go and look for them!"

"Bruvos is counting on us! Same with Auger!"

"To stop Zekir! If Zekir gets away, then all this would be for nothing! What happened to Astrid, will be for nothing!"

Hiccup's face went dark, making Matt instantly regret what he said.

Looking down, he quietly apologized. "Sorry, Hiccup. I shouldn't have said that. But the fact remains that while Darien and Zekir are still out there, the threat they possess to us is still real."

"Then help us finish it here. We'll go look for them after! I'll go with you after we finish up here! I promise!"

"Hiccup, listen to me! Snotlout and the twins can handle it from here! Even Ukiah! We need to go find them now! They're getting farther away!"

"Guys!" Heather shouted, pulling all attention to her. Pointing at the Keep, she suggested. "We could ask where they went. Since they have a decoy chief that had to be part of their plan."

Realizing what she was saying, Hiccup nodded in agreement. "He would have an idea where they were going! On top of that, we can probably talk them down! Force them to surrender! Since it's not the real Zekir anyways, why would he stick his neck out for a people he's not even in charge of?"

Matt's face darkened. "Fine." He growled. "Let's go 'talk' with them. Then we go after Zekir and Darien."

"Heather, go tell Ukiah what we're going to do! Matt, follow me!" Hiccup shouted, letting Toothless go into a steep dive.

Both Heather and Matt followed him. As the high pitch scream from the Night Fury sang through the air, the all pulled up just above Ukiah and the charging men. Heather gave Matt an assuring smile, just before she slowed up and landed ahead of Ukiah. Frowning, Matt focused on following Hiccup. Flying past the arena, now a smoldering heap of burning wood and black stone, the two pulled up to one of the turrets of the Keep.

Men instantly scrambled, grabbing bows and crossbows to shoot down the approaching dragons.

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa!" Hiccup shouted, waving his arms at them. "We only want to talk to your leader!"

The men didn't respond. They only continued to aim their weapons at Hiccup.

"Look! We won!" He shouted, gesturing to the smoking village behind him. "There doesn't need to be more death! You don't have to die!"

The men slowly began to look at each other, knowing the truth in his words. The battle was over, and it was simply surviving that mattered at this point.

"We only want to talk to your leader. Whoever he is. Please! We don't want to hurt you any more than we have!"

Slowly, the men took a step back, with the exception of one, who looked like a captain or a commander at least. "Only one of ya'. And you'll stay right there!"

Matt nodded in agreement. "I'll back off, Hiccup. I'll go get Bruvos since he's the one that'll be negotiating the peace."

Hiccup nodded in agreement with Matt. "Go for it." Turning to the captain, he shouted. "Agreed! I'll stay right here! But your men need to put down their bows."

Matt then banked to the left, staring at where Heather and Ukiah were landed and talking. He would have stayed to help talk, as he was a little better than Hiccup at that; but Hiccup was far more diplomatic than he ever would be.

Hiccup watched Matt leave, while waiting for whomever to show up. Then he saw him. The chief that tried to kill him and his friends in the arena. His face was pale, and he frankly looked terrified at seeing Hiccup. Giving him a wave, Hiccup greeted him. "Hey there."

The person simply nodded, unable to wave himself.

"Listen, I know you're not Zekir. Zekir wouldn't even want to talk with me, unless it was to set up a trap to kill me or my friends."

The chief looked down in shame, knowing whatever guise he had, it was gone completely.

"We don't want to hurt you. We want to stop the fighting. But to do that, you need to work with us. And help us."

"I understand…" The person called out.

"First off, what's your name?"

"Gabor. I'm…Zekir's half-brother."

"Why did he have you fill his position as chief?"

"So that he could escape with that girl, Darien. I was supposed to distract you and Bruvos' men from following them."

Hiccup's pulse quickened. "Where did they go?" He asked with a rushed tone.

"I...I don't know!" Gabor replied with fear in his eyes. "I promise it's the truth! They didn't tell anyone where they were going! If they did, Ugo would have known, and he's dead! All I know, is they flew on Darien's dragon last night. As to where, or what their end goal is, I have no idea! They only told me that I was going to have to stay here!"

Hiccup's heart sank. They could literally be anywhere now.

"Bu-but I'm still willing to talk peace! Or surrender!" He called out, seeing Hiccup not say anything. "I'm an artisan by trade! Not a ruler! I had no choice but to help them! They would have killed me if I said no!"

"It's not me you have to talk peace too. It's Bruvos." Hiccup replied, turning to see Matt, Heather, Ukiah, and Lydia fly up to them. To his surprise, he saw Auger riding with Matt, instead of Bruvos. "Wait, where's Bruvos?" He asked, looking at them with concern.

"Hiccup…Bruvos is…" Heather began to choke out.

Then he saw it. Everyone's eyes were red, with tear stains on their faces. All except Ukiah, whose face was set in stone. "No…" He whispered.

"I am Auger. Son of Bruvos." Auger called out in an authoritative, almost hateful tone. "I understand you're not Zekir, but you were the leader that waged a battle, tried to kill our friends, and waged a battle that ended up killing my father. Tell me why I should bargain for peace with you and your people, instead of salting the earth where Thariin stands?"

Gabor pale face went a shade whiter. "Please! Please spare me! I was only doing what I was forced to! Zekir and Darien made me when they knew you were invading us! They knew you would win!"

"Auger…talk with him." Lydia whispered. "He's a victim like we were to Zekir. You can't hold him accountable for dad's…death."

Glaring at the leader, Auger slowly and reluctantly closed his eyes. "Let's talk peace. But it will require your men to surrender the Keep to my men. Understand? Thariin is belongs to us now."

"Stand down! Open the gates!" Gabor shouted, issuing orders. "If you value your lives, and our people's lives, let them in and drop your weapons!"

With some resentment, the men did as they were ordered.

"Ukiah, Lydia. I want you to be with me." Auger ordered as Matt coasted Wasatch closer to the turret.

"Sure thing, brother." Lydia whispered.

Ukiah only nodded, though unsure why he was asked to join in on the peace talks.

"Heather, you're coming with me." Matt called out, letting Auger slide off of Wasatch. "We're going to try and find Zekir and Darien."

"I'll come too." Hiccup threw in. "I know they left last night on Banshee, they could be anywh-"

"Hiccup. I know they're gone. I don't expect to find them." Matt interrupted. His voice was filled with angst and frustration. "But you need to get your rib checked out. And you need to check on Astrid. You need to be there when she wakes up."

Hiccup stared at him, unable to argue with what he was saying.

"Go ahead, we'll be back later tonight." Matt whispered, hovering past him. "Ready, Heather?"

"Lead the way." She called out.

Giving him one last assuring expression, Matt left Hiccup and surged out to the ocean, beginning his fruitless search for Darien and Zekir.

Sighing, Hiccup turned to see Auger, Ukiah, and Lydia meeting with the real leaders and captains of Thariin's army, with Gabor standing there awkwardly.

Slowly, he guided Toothless to Bruvos' ship, hoping Astrid was at least being taken care of.

* * *

 _ **Whoo! What chapter. I hope it was enjoyable to read. And if not, let me know what you would have liked to see. It was actually a fun chapter to write, and I'm especially glad that I had some extra time to work on it! Again, I'll try to post ASAP!**_


	13. Chapter 13: Separate Ways Separate Ends

**Chapter Thirteen: Separate Ways, Separate Endings**

* * *

The night was set in, with the moon shining brightly over Thariin. Both Matt and Heather glided over the village, still ravaged with some lingering fires and a few columns of smoke. Villagers that weren't otherwise putting out the fires were busy trying to mend some of their homes and shops, given that catapults didn't really care where or what they hit. The sight was a little haunting, especially to Heather, who was seeing flashbacks of when Viggo attacked her village with the Shellfire.

"I forget that battles last more than a day." She called out, staring at the glowing fires below. "At least, the effects of one."

"It's different seeing the aftermath of the battle. I thought we did good to avoid homes and structures." Matt replied, letting a frown grow on his face. "I guess I forget how serious a fight like that can be. It was different fighting against someone that didn't really have a way to counter dragons. Not like Darien or the Hunters."

Shaking her head, they then dropped lower over the bay, heading straight for Bruvos' ship, still moored at the dock. Not wanting to surprise the guards, they purposely flew an extra wide circle around it, silently announcing their arrival.

"Hey, Matt? I'm sorry…"

Taken back by the apology, he quickly turned towards with a confused look. "Sorry? For what?"

"Not being able to find Zekir or Darien. They're still out there. All this…" She gestured to the smoking ruins of Thariin. "All this was for nothing."

Pursing his lips, he quickly looked away. "Regardless of what happened, they were going to get away. They used Astrid and Fishlegs to distract us while they fled. Not to mention the battle. There was no way we could have known before we could have done something. The only thing that would have helped is if we saw them leave last night."

"I guess…" She replied quietly.

At that, the two let their dragons gently stall down to the deck of the ship, being welcomed by Toothless, Stormfly, and Lasher.

"Hey, guys! How are you doing?" Heather asked with a small smile. Sliding off her saddle, she laughed as Stormfly rushed Windshear and began to rub against her.

Wasatch growled at Toothless, greeting him in his own way.

"Ah, Matt and Heather." A soldier called out, walking around the excited dragons. "Your friends are below deck in your regular quarters."

"How is Astrid doing?" Heather asked, looking at the soldier with a hopeful expression.

"I'm unsure. I haven't seen her for myself." He replied, gesturing to the stairs that led down. "I'm sure you'll find out yourselves soon enough."

Thanking him, Matt let Heather go ahead of him down the stairs. They could see a light shine under the doorway of their room, revealing they were still up. Voices could be heard, though muffled through the dense and moist wood.

Taking a deep breath, Heather lightly knocked on the door as she opened it.

"Heather! Matt!" Hiccup called out, smiling as they walked in. "We were getting worried about you guys. We thought you might have flown back to Berk!"

"After today? I can barely stand. Fighting in the morning, searching for murderers the rest of the day, flying to the ends of the world. Oh, not to mention our adventure of sneaking into the dungeons and fighting Ugo." Matt huffed sarcastically, letting a warm smile grow on his face. "Getting that rib taken care of?"

Lying in a hammock, with his shirt off; Hiccup had bandages wrapped around his entire body, keeping him stiff. He had small cuts over him, not being that surprising given the scuffle he had with Ugo. Smiling, he gestured to something to their right. "Yeah, got a healer to look at it. Me and Astrid actually."

The two turned to see Astrid laying there, weakly smiling at them. Lydia was sitting alongside her, as was Ukiah. Both were looking relieved that she was getting better. Lydia's head was wrapped up, evidence that she had a head injury earlier in the day. A big S was drawn on the white bandages, showing them exactly that Snotlout had 'helped' her with it.

"Astrid!" Heather cried, running over to her.

"Hey…" She called out as loud as she could. "Hiccup and Fishlegs told me it was you who killed Ugo. Thanks. Wish I was able to get a swing at him." Essentially stripped from her usual clothes, she wore a simple linen tank top styled shirt, with linen shorts. Bandages covered most of her upper body that almost made her look like mummy, though it was focused more along her stomach. Where she was slashed down her leg, also had bandages wrapped around it. Her hair was out of its braid, and still had flakes of dried blood scattered in it. She still looked worse for wear, though a hundred times better than when they found her.

"Shut up." Heather quickly replied, pulling up a crate to sit next to her. "You're lucky that Zekir and Darien didn't just kill you."

Shaking her head, she looked up at Matt who remained silent. "What? Terrible Terror got your tongue? I mean, your throat looks like a reason why you can't talk."

Matt instantly rubbed his throat. It was sore and tender to the touch. "Yeah, well…Ugo choke slammed me when we were saving your butt. Your welcome."

Astrid smiled as she rested her head back in the hammock. Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "Typical Matt. Get hurt somehow and pull all attention away from those that were actually injured. Me, Hiccup, Lydia, who else can we add to the list?"

"Maybe I should just beat on you now. Since you can't fight back." He teased, grateful that she was still acting the same as she was before. Then, with a frown growing, asked. "How are you doing?"

"I'm not bleeding anymore. That's a start." She grunted, trying to sit up. "I feel weak and sore all over. I think it'll be at least a day before I can ride again."

"Try a week or two. Maybe." Hiccup groaned, trying to swing his legs out of his hammock. "You're not moving until those cuts heal. Even then, we might wait until we get back to Berk for Gothi to get a look at you."

"Yeah, yeah…sure." Astrid huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Any sign of them?" Hiccup followed up with, finally able to stand up.

Matt looked down and shook his head. "They could be anywhere, Hiccup."

Hiccup simply gripped his shoulder, trying to reassure him that it would be okay.

"I wish you grabbed me. I would have gone to help you." Ukiah spoke out, standing up from his seat.

"It wouldn't have made a difference. They left last night. Probably after they tortured Astrid." He replied, walking over to his hammock. Opening a small chest that had his few belongings, he began to shed some of his clothes, being his beanie, goggles, coat, and whatever else he didn't need. "They got at least a full day's ride ahead of us. And they're probably going to God knows where."

"Uh, gods, right?" Lydia asked, looking at him in confusion.

"What? Oh, right. Sure. Gods." He huffed, rolling his eyes at the correction.

"We'll find them. They're not just going to ignore us and let us be." Heather tried to assure, doing the same as Matt. Unstrapping her armor, she slid it into her chest.

"Listen, let's forget about it for now. It's just ticking me off." Matt growled, shutting hit chest with extra force. "Where's everybody else?"

"Fishlegs is going through the records of Thariin. Learning about its history." Hiccup replied, taking a seat next to Astrid. "Snotlout and the twins are helping with the fires. Mainly to get Snotlout away from Lydia."

"Ugh!" She groaned while face palming herself.

"I'd say she's a Dragon Rider now." Heather teased, seeing her misery with Snotlout. "You can't be a girl Dragon Rider without being hit on by Snotlout at least once."

"That leaves Ruffnut out." Matt groaned, taking his shirt off. Relishing in the cooler air, and getting out of his dirty, smoky clothes, he flopped over into his hammock with a loud groan.

"Give it time. I'm sure it'll happen eventually." Astrid jested as she shifted slightly in her bed.

"So, what happened while we were gone?" Heather asked, collapsing in her hammock. It felt so good to lie down. She could have actually gone to sleep after the fight to begin with, given they didn't really sleep the night before, and had fought Ugo by themselves. Suddenly, a little brown blur launched into the air next to her, and crashed into her stomach. "Gah! What? Arrow?"

The Sand Wraith roared, sounding deeper and stronger than even a few weeks ago. Staring at Heather with his wide eyes, he growled with satisfaction as he buried his head under her hand, forcing her to scratch him.

"He went crazy being locked in here." Ukiah replied, grabbing his crude sword out of its sheath that was hanging on the wall next to him. Sitting down on another crate, he rested it on his lap and began to rub a stone along the edge. "I'd imagine he's pretty happy to see you."

Heather smiled as she continued to pet the baby dragon, though his weight was getting heavier.

"Well, in answer to your question, the former advisor to Zekir was who we talked with." Lydia began to explain. "His name is Knut. Anyways, they surrendered everything to us. The city, the Keep, even the markets and lands around us."

"Seems like you guys got everything you need." Matt commented. "Free from Thariin, and more resources to boot."

"That's the thing. Auger can't rule here. He's king over at our place."

"So are you letting them govern themselves? Get a new ruler that you approve of?"

"Actually, exactly that…" She replied, letting a wide smile grow on her face.

Heather sat up, looking at her with curiosity. "Who?"

Lydia simply let her smile broaden, almost brightening the room. "Well, why don't we ask my brother?" At that, she stood up and walked out of the room.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, not really knowing what to think of the cryptic answer or why she left.

A few short minutes later, they could hear her and some heavier footsteps following nearby. As the brother and sister walked in, they all tried to get out of their hammocks to do a small bow to the new king. His armor, usually being clean, was dented and dirty. Caked with a mixture of blood, dirt, soot, and other random things, he looked twice the warrior he did when they first met him. Some of the leather straps that were hanging from his chest piece were snapped or hanging by a thread, adding to the story that he too fought with all he had.

"Please, don't do that for me." Auger replied in annoyance, seeing them struggle to stand. "You're my friends. The reason why we were able to win today. At least, without as many losses."

Every one saw his and Lydia's face fall at the thought of their dad. It was still fresh in their mind that he was taken from them.

"We're sorry, Auger. We really are." Heather replied, unable to get out of her hammock due to Arrow being in her lap. "Unfortunately, I know exactly what you two are going through."

"If that's the case, I'm sorry to hear that you can relate so well." Auger replied quietly. Standing up straight, he then continued to say. "My dad was a good man. A good man that fought bravely for his people. He'll be welcomed in the Halls of Valhalla like the hero and warrior that he was. I only hope to be able to join him."

"After today, I have no doubt that'll happen when your time comes." Hiccup assured, smiling at the new king.

"Thank you. He tried to prepare me the best he could to take over, but I still feel inadequate."

"You'll be fine. It's always terrifying to try something new for yourself." Matt grunted, also sitting on the edge of his hammock. "It's how I felt when I first started snowboarding. Even more so when I became a Dragon Boarder. The fact that you're nervous about something means you're moving in the right direction. With the right motive."

"Snow…boarding?" He broke up, trying to understand what Matt told him.

Matt let out a long sigh. "A sport I did before I returned home to Berk. Sorry to confuse you. Just remember that if you feel nervous about something, you're doing the right thing."

Heather then spoke up, still curious as to what Lydia was cryptic about. "So, what was Lydia meaning about you telling us who's staying in Thariin?"

Auger nodded, folding his arms and leaning against the door, he began to explain his thoughts. "I'm sure you know, I can't rule Thariin. At least, not from Gorthurk. Aside from the distance, I don't think I want to. Thariin has been a plague most of my life. It's also where my dad was taken from me. I wouldn't be fair or just to the people here."

Everyone nodded in understanding.

"Personally, I wanted to burn the place to the ground and salt the earth. But then I'd be no different from Zekir or Strogg."

"So, who are you placing to rule in your place?" Matt asked.

"Someone from your little group, which had a great deal of respect from my dad." He answered, turning to look at Matt. "Don't get me wrong, he respected all of you the same. The fact that you were willing to travel this far with us, just to help, meant more to him than you realize. We spent nights talking about it while we were traveling here."

"Who was he meaning then?" Heather pushed, getting a little anxious at the reveal.

Lydia then turned to Ukiah with a wide smile, who was still focusing on sharpening his sword. "He was meaning you, Ukiah."

Freezing instantly, leaving the stone in the center of his blade. Looking at her in shock, he could only ask: "Me? Why?"

"You never fold. You never give in." Auger began to explain. Gesturing to his single arm, he continued to give his reasons. "You've had every right to give up and stop trying to help others. You were honest with your intentions. You don't bend to the wills of others. These are only a few reasons why my dad liked you. His intention was to offer you a place in his kingdom as a knight. But, given the events that changed that, I think he'd agree with me by making you Chief of Thariin."

"I'm a vagabond. I have no family. Hardly any friends." He began to excuse. "I'm a Crevite! A killer and a murderer! I'd be a terrible ruler."

"Weren't you trying to get away from that?" Lydia challenged, walking up to him and grabbing his sword. Setting down, she then sat next to him. "You said you didn't want to be a known as a killer, and you know what? You're not! The men all saw that. The men that you led! They don't see you as a heartless murderer you claim to be. The people of Thariin don't see that in you, since you helped negotiate with their leaders. The few that remained at least." Gesturing to everyone in the room, she added. "Everyone in here knows you're not a murderer! Arrow included!"

Arrow growled loudly as he climbed on Heather's shoulder, excited to hear his name and unknowingly backing Lydia's claim.

"The only person that believes that you're a killer is yourself." She whispered, grabbing his hand and forcing him to look at her. "Just for once, believe us. Believe your friends! Not your mind or your feelings. Forget about that. Forget all that you've been told and trust us!"

Ukiah stared at Lydia, unsure of how to respond.

"Ukiah…I need a friend to rule Thariin for me. Someone that I trust and isn't afraid to tell me no." Auger continued to say. "Thariin will be yours to lead. Free from any influence from me or Gorthurk. Because I know what kind of person you are, and how you'll rule."

Ukiah quickly shook his head. "I don't know how to lead or rule! I've always been a loner. Anytime I've worked with others, I just did as I was told. What hope do I have, let alone Thariin if I'm in charge of it? I don't know how it works!"

"We're not leaving you by yourself." Lydia replied, with a smile that was getting wider and wider. "Though my dad taught Auger most of the time, I learned a few things about ruling as well. I'll be with you. What we don't know, we'll learn together."

"But what about your home?"

"I've always wanted to leave it." She excused. "Ask Auger, I've always been anxious to go somewhere else and do something more than just sit in my room."

"It's true." He admitted, rolling his eyes at the claim. "She enjoyed the time she spent with you Riders more than all the years she was home."

"Besides…I promised that I'd help you experience life. This might be the answer you need."

Ukiah quickly stood up, thinking about what was happening. Pacing back and forth, he kept on fighting the suggestion. "I-I-I don't even want it! I've never been inspirational, let alone someone that looked out for others. Why would anyone follow me?"

"I have hundreds of men that will disagree with you." Auger quickly rebutted. "I keep hearing them say how they were led to victory by a one-armed Crevite, riding the back of a dragon and slaying any man that stood in his way. They pledged their swords to you when you asked them to help you charge. What makes you think people won't follow you?"

"And if you don't care for others, why did you save me from that prison ship to begin with?" Lydia challenged. "Why did you help me open the gate for our forces? Why did you come all this way to fight in a battle that wouldn't help you with your goals?"

Staring at her, he then whispered. "Zekir is still out there. Arrow's murderer is still free, and with a person that intends to hurt and kill my friends. I need to go-"

"You'll find him and Darien." Lydia assured, standing up and walking up to him. "But, maybe you should think about this before you say no. You've been living a life of solitude. Hunting this, looking for that, moving to a new place; all this, while trying to have peace in your life."

Ukiah stared at her as she gazed up into his eyes.

"I'm going to honest with you, since you've always been honest with me. Whatever you're doing, it's not working. You're plan is failing you."

Taken back by the charge, he was about to argue it before being cut off.

"Try this. For once, try something different. Do something different! It might surprise you how much good it can bring into your life, as well as good for others. Who knows, you might actually like it."

Ukiah racked his head, trying to come up with any excuse to pass it up, other than straight up saying no.

Hiccup then limped to him, wincing as he gripped his shoulder. "Ukiah, do this. It's an opportunity of a lifetime; and besides that, it might be what you were supposed to do."

Ukiah's head snapped up at Hiccup, shocked to hear him say that.

"You said you don't know what your purpose is, or what's true anymore about you. Maybe you're not supposed to know. Maybe this is where you set your own purpose. And regardless of what you tell yourself, you're someone who only cares about others. You'll do more good here than if you came back to Berk or the Edge."

"You don't want me to come back?!" He cried in shock, almost in anger.

"Of course I want you to come back! I want you to fly with us!" Hiccup quickly defended. Looking at Matt, he added. "Especially now that Matt is going to live with Heather and the Berserkers." Turning to look at Ukiah in the eyes, he quietly whispered. "But I want what's best for you. Not me. You can do so much good if you do this."

"What if I don't want to? I don't want to do this!"

"That's your choice. But why wouldn't you want to?" Hiccup challenged. "Give me one good reason why you shouldn't do this."

"…you guys…" He choked out. For the first time since they arrived in Thariin, he let a few tears fall out of his eyes. "What about you guys?"

"We'll be fine, Ukiah." Astrid called out as loud as she could. Struggling to sit up in her hammock, she flashed a weak smile at him. "You've only done things for us. For others. Even from the time we first met you. Do something for yourself for once. If I could, I'd have smacked your shoulder by now for being worried about us."

"This is an incredible opportunity!" Heather quickly seconded, standing up and almost losing Arrow that was balancing on her shoulder. "You helped me in more ways than you know. You saved Matt's life even before he knew you. So do something for yourself. Help yourself."

"I want you to come back with us." Matt announced, also stepping closer to Heather. Ignoring the quizzical stares, he smiled as he added. "I'll need someone to pull me out of the ocean if I get knocked out. Again. But I want you to experience something you've never really done before. Helping yourself. Besides, I agree with Lydia on this. Trust us for once. Forget everything you know and think, and trust us."

Ukiah stared at his friends, unsure of how respond.

"Besides, we could use another chief at the council." Hiccup added with a smile. "Think about it; between you, Lydia, and Auger, you can help connect the gap between here and the Archipelago. Ukiah, you can do so much good here!"

Swallowing, Ukiah looked at Arrow, who was smiling at him with his rows of sharp teeth. His eyes were bright, almost telling him what his opinion was. Finally, looking down at his stub, he slowly began to nod. "Alright, I'll do it."

Before anyone could cheer, he quickly cut them off.

"On one condition."

Every stood still, waiting for the request.

"If I don't like it after a year, I get to leave with no one telling me what I should do. Alright?"

Auger and Lydia nodded, understanding the request.

"Of course. And I'll be more than happy to help you if you need it." Auger replied, walking up and grabbing him in a hug.

Lydia's face was beaming, trying hard not to cry. The fact that he was choosing to stay and try something different meant everything to her!

"Well, how do I go about this? Where do I start?"

"Knut, the former advisor to Zekir, has agreed to fill in the future leader of how Thariin works. The men that surrendered and pledged loyalty to Gorthurk also stand ready to serve you." Auger continued to say. "Those that didn't pledge loyalty, await your judgement. After which, it'll honestly be up to you. If you want to bring Thariin back to what it was before, you can do that. If you want to change it to something else, that is also an option. Of course, you're going to have to rebuild everything. It'd be good to show yourself working on repairing houses and other parts of Thariin. People will start believing in you as their leader, seeing you help them."

Ukiah nodded, feeling overwhelmed at his new life he had reluctantly agreed to. One thing instantly came to mind though, which made him turn to look at Auger with determination. "Tear down the arena. That's the first thing we'll do. Free whatever dragons we have, and stop all dragon hunting."

Hiccup's face instantly brightened at the order, to which both Matt and Heather laughed out loud.

"Great, you got a life-long supporter now, Ukiah." Matt teased, lightly hitting him in the shoulder.

Hiccup gasped at the hit, wincing as his rib gave him more pain. "Agh! Thanks, Matt…"

Laughing, the group then began to shout, much to Ukiah's chagrin, a cheer for him.

"All hail, Chief Ukiah! All hail, Chief Ukiah!"

And their words echoed through the ship, and out towards the bay, announcing the new leader and ruler of Thariin.

* * *

The mist blew in her face as the ship rolled over another large wave. Ignoring the water that splashed on her, Darien remained unmoving on the bow of her ship. This was it. She successfully escaped Thariin from the Riders, came into control of the remaining Hunters, and now was on her way to ascend into the history books.

A sudden flash of glowing blue streak bolted above her, making her watch Banshee surge ahead of the ship. His bright glow contrasted against the black night sky, creating a serene sight to watch. Since they began sailing, he spent his time catching fish for her and Zekir, flying around the ship to burn some energy, and even practicing fighting on two dragons they had in their cells; though it honestly was more of a beating than training.

Letting out a deep breath, she was shocked to feel a hand slip over her mouth and a blade tip rest on her back.

"Mmmphh?!"

"Remember, you have to always be on your guard." Zekir's voice sounded behind her. "Your enemies will always take a chance to end you. Even when you're not expecting it. Like you would to them."

Feeling his hand come off her mouth, she whirled around and glared at him. "What was that for?! You're supposed to protect me! Not try to kill me!"

"I'm teaching you, remember?" He replied, ignoring her angry stare. Sliding his broadsword back into his sheath, he continued to lecture her. "You asked me to help prepare you when you fight Matt."

"I didn't think we were starting." She huffed, standing aside to make room for him.

Zekir smiled as he leaned on the railing of the ship's bow, watching Banshee's glow dance in the night. "You know this, Darien. Training and learning never have a start or a stop. It's always happening. Ongoing and uncaring. Either you learn, or-"

"You get left behind…" She finished for him.

"Or you perish." He corrected.

"Hmm, guess I should be glad you didn't end me right there." At that, she too leaned on the railing, watching Banshee's glow contrast against the black sky, diving in and out of the water.

"Now you're just being spiteful. You know I'd never do that." He laughed, letting a mocking grin grow on his face.

"Yeah, I guess I am." She admitted, closing her eyes and looking down. "Guess I need to learn to be more aware. Even in places I feel the safest."

"Those are the places that are the most dangerous. It's why I was always armed when I roamed around the Keep. When you're in areas where you know you're going to get into a fight, or in danger, you're naturally ready and searching for anything wrong. When you're in the area where you sleep and relax, that's when your enemies show up and usually bring you down."

Darien nodded in understanding, realizing that becoming someone like Zekir was going to take work. A lot of it in her case.

"So, you said we're going back to the Archipelago, right?" Zekir asked aloud.

Darien only nodded, not saying anything else.

"Which lies to the…west, correct?"

Again, she nodded.

"Then why are we going south?"

"I thought you had no sense of direction." She teased, surprised he knew the direction they were sailing.

"I've learned a little bit since I've been part of your crew. Besides your captain, Turik, keeps on yelling to correct the sails to move south. It wasn't a mystery to know where we're going."

"Fair enough. The reason why we're going south, is to avoid the Dragon Riders. They too will be going west, and on the chance they decide to fly their dragons there, they'll have a good chance of running into us. We're going south a few days and then west. Let them get there before us. They won't expect us to be there. Besides, it gives my men a chance to hunt some dragons and earn some gold. They deserve some time dedicated to their trade. They've been nothing but loyal since I became their leader. I need to show them I intend to do right by them."

Zekir nodded agreement. It was a smart move, considering they've only had defeats in recent events.

"We're crippled. Almost nothing." She continued to say aloud. "We need to get our feet on the ground before we start running. We're going to find a new island outside of the Archipelago, one that will suit our needs. We'll use it as a base of operations. Expand our influence, and then advance into the Archipelago full force. My men will carry out the day to day operations, while we go hunt ourselves the ones that call themselves Riders. Until then, It'll take months, if not years to get where we want to be."

"I'll support you all the way, Snake." Zekir replied with a sinister smile.

"Thank you, Black Heart." She teased back. "But…if you'll follow me…I want to show you something. Our future." At that, she turned and walked off.

Surprised at the request, he followed her.

After acknowledging a few hails and greetings, she walked up to the door of her cabin and opened it up.

Though he was with her most times, he had never been in her cabin since they left Thariin. Standing in the doorway with wide eyes, he simply observed the sight. Instead of torches and candles, the room was lit by jars of glowing liquid. The entire room had a blue hue to it, the exact same as Banshee's color.

"What do you think?" She asked, walking up to her desk and flopping in her chair.

"I'm impressed. Creative, and beautiful." He admitted, walking up to a jar and tapping it. "Very different from when I was last in here."

"I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about this."

Zekir turned to see Darien drop a handful of papers on the desk, gesturing for him to read them. Grabbing them, he looked them over and read them aloud.

"Monstrous Nightmare, Whispering Death, Triple Stryke, Sand Wraith, Wooly Howl, Seashocker, Shadow Wing…interesting. What are you wanting to do with these dragons? Are they ones we're going to hunt?"

"Zekir…silly, use your imagination!" She teased. Holding up the Dragon Book she took from Fishlegs, she waved it at him. "You're in the presence of a Dragon Rider. Who has the ability to obtain all kinds of dragons. Who also has in her possession the key to knowing more about dragons than anyone in the world. With the exception of Hiccup Haddock. I'm not showing you those dragons to know what we're hunting, I'm showing you those dragons to ask what you want to ride."

Zekir gasped. With wide eyes, he only stared at her.

Smirking at him, she then stood up from her seat. "Did you think, I was going to ask you to come with me, abandon all you did for yourself, just to trap a few dragons? I want you to ride with me. Possibly a few others, but we'll come to that later. What dragon would you like to ride? And we'll go get one for you."

"You're serious." He replied, letting a small smile grow on his face.

"Of course, I am. You asked me to help you become like me, and I'm going to do just that! You help me learn how to fight, and I'll help you learn how to fly. Think about it. You'll no longer be called Zekir the Black Heart, but now Zekir the Black Scale."

Zekir smiled at his new title. "I like that. I guess I'm no longer the Black Heart, since that died with Thariin. Zekir the Black Scale, the right-hand man to the Snake."

"With the most prestigious Dragon Hunters and killers at their backs..." She added, pointing to a cloth hanging on the door behind them.

Turning around, he smiled at what he saw.

It was what looked like a skull of a Flightmare. At least it had the same facial structure of one. Painted on a grey cloth with the blue glowing mist, it looked like a sigil that would give anyone nightmares.

"Our new crest. What do you think?"

"I think we're going to need to repaint our sails when we make landfall." He answered, smiling at her.

"To us." She laughed, grabbing and holding up two mugs of a drink off her desk. "And our…eventful future."

Taking one, he raised it up to her. "To us."

Hitting the mugs together, they both drank the contents and began to laugh, knowing that nothing could prepare for what they were about to do.

* * *

 _ **Whoo, eventful right? If you couldn't tell, this is close to the end. One more chapter and then its done. I'll have a whole schpeel with my plans and what I'm thinking right now when I post it. Er, I guess finish it. Hope it was an enjoyable chapter!**_


	14. Chapter 14: Endings are New Beginnings

**Chapter Fourteen: Endings are New Beginnings**

* * *

"Someone help him with that!" Matt shouted, carrying a large sack of supplies to the ship.

"No, no! I got it!" Hiccup replied, wincing as he carried his own.

"Hiccup, you're rib is broken. It'll take some time resting to get it whole again." Lydia called out, grabbing the sack from him. Hefting it onto her shoulders, she walked along side of him.

"…Thanks…" He replied, embarrassed that she was helping load supplies to the ship taking them home.

After a few days after Ukiah officially took over as Chief of Thariin, he had already proven to be a leader that expected action and results. In a good way. The market was opened up and repaired from any fire damages, allowing trade to slowly start building up. The nearby grass fields were being plowed to plant extra crops for the next spring, and the few ships remaining were being converted to fishing ships. Buildings were already being framed for repairs, and he himself was busy helping repair the walls around the village. Though still skeptical of their new ruler, the people were grateful that he had put their interests ahead of his own; being the reason why the arena wasn't torn down yet. The only thing he had done for himself was to designate a crew and ship to take the Riders back home.

"That should do it." Ukiah grunted, dropping a sack of apples on the massive pile. "Should be enough to get to Berk. If not, your dragons can fish along the way; or you can make stops at some islands along the way."

"Thanks, Ukiah. I was thinking it was going to be a long flight back." Hiccup grimaced, wincing as he turned around. "At least Astrid and I will be able to recover a little bit."

"That's the point. I wasn't going to let you two try to fly all the way to Berk." He replied gruffly. Looking down, he shook his head as he gently kicked Arrow away from the sacks. "Back off, you terror. Those aren't for you."

Arrow looked up and growled angrily at him. The baby Sand Wraith was hardly a baby anymore. Now at the same height as Ukiah's knees, he was getting a lot bigger from when they first saw him. Hissing angrily, he then waddled over to the gangway of the ship and began to flap his wings. Slowly, even awkwardly, he began to lift off the ground. As he kept on going, he slowly began to move forward faster and straighter.

Hiccup smiled with Ukiah as they watched him 'fly' away.

"He's really getting stronger." Ukiah whispered.

"He is. He's got a lot of people to look up to. Lasher included."

Ukiah nodded, finally tearing his eyes away from Arrow. "I'm going to miss you, Hiccup."

Surprised, he quickly looked at Ukiah with a caring expression. "I am too, Ukiah."

"It's different, you know." He began to say, walking to the edge of the ship. Watching the docks bustle with people, either carrying materials to repair the damages, or those helping load up Auger's and the ship he was on, he shook his head. "Even when I was staying with you guys back at the Edge, I never felt like I was bound to stay. Like you guys weren't dependent on me to be there. It's so different here. These people, even if some don't like me, they need me. I can't just…leave like I'm used to doing. These people need me."

"You're already seeing the good you're going to be to these people." Hiccup commented, tenderly leaning on the ships railing to watch the same thing he was. "I'm happy for you, you know that? Finally finding a purpose for yourself."

"Like you." He replied.

"Well, yes and no."

Ukiah looked at Hiccup with a quizzical expression. "What do you mean, yes and no? Don't you think you found your purpose?"

Hiccup let a sad smile grow on his face. "I know that whatever my purpose is, it's going to involve dragons. Making the world a better place for both them and us. I'm just unsure of how, or even where."

"What do you mean where? Berk of course! That or Dragon's Edge."

"You see…that's the thing. For the longest time, even after founding Dragon's Edge, I still don't know where I belong. I'm like you. I have to keep searching, looking for something. Something that will explain to me what I'm supposed to do. What happens after Dragon's Edge hmm? Do I…simply exist with what we learned and know? Or do I keep going further and further away to the point I can't simply return to Berk."

Ukiah stared at Hiccup with furrowed eyes. "You know, Hiccup…I understand what you're saying a lot more than you think I do. And this is all I'm going to say. Trust those close to you."

Hiccup looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I know you won't do anything to jeopardize your friends. Fishlegs, the twins, Snotlout, Heather, Matt, and more importantly Astrid."

Hiccup swallowed, recalling how close he was to losing her.

"Listen to them. I think they'll be able to help you discover your purpose."

"What about you and your help?"

"Me? I think that little bit of advice was my portion of help." He replied with a smile. "Besides, I'm going to be a month's journey away. It's not like I'll be able to stay in touch with you. Better say what I have to now."

Hiccup smiled at his friend as he stood up and walked towards the gangway, just as the rest of the Riders began to board the ship.

"Well, good luck to you guys." Ukiah announced, grabbing Fishlegs with his one arm. "Try not to have any more adventures on your way back. I don't know if your bodies can handle it."

"Hey! Speak for yourself, Ukiah." Snotlout snapped. "It just so happens that I hope we run into a rouge dragon or something like that."

"Uh-huh, sure." He replied, shaking his head at him.

"I still don't get why I wasn't chosen to be chief. I was almost chosen to be a king! Clearly I'm supposed to be a ruler!"

"Keyword, almost." Matt interrupted, walking up to him with a scowl. Looking at Ukiah, he then grabbed him in a hug. "Take care, Ukiah. I can already expect good things to come from you."

"Thanks, Matt. Don't let anything happen to Hiccup. Or Heather."

"Trust me, I've already got plans to help me with that." He whispered, giving him one extra squeeze.

Letting go of him, he turned to see Heather helping Astrid walk towards them.

"Well, Ukiah. I guess this is good-bye." Astrid called out, pulling away from Heather. Limping on her own, she let a smirk grow on her face. "Just don't do anything where I have to come here to save your butt."

"I'll try not to." He joked, shaking his head at the order. "Make sure you actually rest a little before you climb on Stormfly."

"Mmmm…no promises." She laughed, wincing slightly at the sudden movement. Slowly, she grabbed him in a hug. "Seriously, be careful. I only want to hear good news coming from Thariin, got it?"

"I promise, Astrid, only if you do the same."

Nodding, she gave him one last squeeze before letting go.

"Well, I guess this is it. Kind of crazy." Heather announced, walking up to him. "I'm happy for you, you know that? You finally get a place that you can call home. One that you get to build up yourself."

"Yeah, it's…it's different, that's for sure." He admitted, turning to look at Thariin. "Won't be as exciting as living with you guys though."

"Might be healthier for you." She laughed, grabbing him in a hug. Kissing him on the cheek, she whispered. "That's for saving Matt. I never had a chance to tell you that."

Ukiah smiled, knowing the significance of her showing some affection. "Take care, Heather. I hope you enjoy your home like I will with mine."

"I'll give it my best shot."

Ukiah turned to see the twins walk up to him, to which he simply braced himself for whatever lunacy they would say.

"So, since you have two dragons…" Tuffnut began to say.

"With the added responsibilities of being the Chief of Thariin." Ruffnut added.

"We will gladly take Lasher with us to ease up your new burdens."

"We'll have plenty of chances for him to use his destructive behavior in a beneficial way." Ruffnut continued to sale, sounding professional and businesslike.

Tuffnut then got emotional, thinking of what they were asking. "I mean, he's an awesome Triple Stryke that likes to fight and break things! It's almost inhumane to keep that…that raw destructive nature contained!"

"And there it is." He whispered. Shaking his head, he laughed as he explained. "It'd be wrong to keep him bottled up, I agree. Thankfully, he'll have plenty of chances to let loose in helping defend Thariin and Gorthurk. I don't think he needs to be in your…extracurricular activities."

"Hmph! I shall seek the Chief of Berk's help with this! We will get that majestic beast freed from your awful, prisonlike clutches!"

"I'm sure you will." He quietly replied, shaking his head at them.

"Are you guys ready then?" Lydia spoke up, walking out of the ship's hold. Smiling, she gently grabbed Astrid in a hug. "Thank you all so much! You changed my life!"

"Thank, Ukiah. He's the one that brought you to us." Matt replied with a large smile.

"Princess!" Snotlout cried out, rushing past everyone. Grabbing her hands, he gripped them like his life was depending on it. "Please! You have to come with us! We'll have all the adventures you'd ever want! It'll be romantic! It'll be with me! I can be your knight in shining Gronckle Iron!"

Everyone loudly groaned, some even face palming themselves at the request.

Smiling, Lydia leaned forwards and pecked him on the cheek, almost making him collapse. "I know it would be an adventure, and possibly romantic…maybe." Looking at Ukiah, she smiled as she continued to say. "But I can't leave Ukiah to rule Thariin alone. I'm his advisor. It wouldn't be fair to him or Thariin if I left with you."

"But…but-"

"Hiccup Haddock!" A loud voice sounded from the dock.

Every moved to the side of the ship, looking to see who had called him. Standing there, surrounded by his men, was Auger. In his cleaned up, though still dented armor.

"Princ- er, King Auger." Hiccup greeted, smiling at him below.

"Send your father my regards." He commented, doing a small bow to him. "Tell him that if he ever needs help, or finds himself being attacked, he can send for us and we will come with the fury of a hurricane!"

"That makes two of us." Ukiah added, guiding Lydia down the gangway. "I expect an invitation to the next Council of Chiefs, understand, Hiccup?"

Hiccup nodded, smiling as the gangway was pulled up onto the ship.

"Set the sails!" The ship's captain ordered.

"Be careful. I also expect word if you find Zekir and Darien." Ukiah continued to shout. "I too want that threat taken care of."

"We'll keep you informed." He shouted.

At that, the ship began to slowly pull away, getting more speed as the sails caught more wind.

Ukiah continued to wave at his friends, suddenly getting misty eyed. The ones that changed his life, and arguably his fate, were leaving him with his new life and new friends.

Shadows then zoomed past them, making them look up to see their dragons follow after the ship.

Frowning, he tried to wipe his eyes discreetly, which didn't work out.

"I know you'll miss them. But look at what you have to look forward too." Lydia consoled, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not sad that I'm staying. I'm not sad at all actually." He confessed, watching the ship continue to sail into the distance. "I'm just going to miss them. That's all. They were the ones that called me family."

"I'll miss them too. They didn't just affect your life." She whispered, finally wrapping an arm around his waist. Pulling him close, she continued to hold him as she watched the ship disappear.

Freezing, Ukiah looked down at Lydia. He had no interest in having a relationship, at least, up to that point. Now that he was letting his life change completely, he slowly began to nod, as if agreeing with himself. Slowly, almost awkwardly, he wrapped his only arm around her, also pulling her closer to him.

With that, they watched the ship finally disappear into the distance, leaving them and Auger with their piece of the world.

* * *

"Here, I'll take that bag." Heather called out, taking the two bedrolls.

"You sure?" Matt asked, watching her start to strap it to her saddle.

"Of course! You don't have many options in regards to saddlebags. It'll be easier for me to take the camping gear, while you take some supplies."

Matt shook his head as he hefted his duffle bag loaded with food and water. "If you say so."

"Wh-where are you two going?" Hiccup called out, staring at Matt with wide and concerned eyes.

"Uh…leaving?" He replied sheepishly, looking at Hiccup with an apologetic look.

"What? Why?!" He cried out.

At this point, Astrid struggled to stand up, using a pair of crutches to help her. Hobbling over to them, she too looked concerned at what she heard.

"Well, for two reasons…" He began to explain. "Heather and I want to…spend some time alone. Talk about what we're going to do at her home. As well as Darien and Zekir."

"I told you, Matt. We're going to search for them as soon as Astrid is taken care of!"

"Hiccup, it's more than that. You can't tell me the stakes aren't higher now. Darien has the Dragon Book, which is the next best thing to the Dragon Eye. We can't wait. We need to be active now."

Wincing at the grasp, he tried to argue with him. "But Astrid-"

Matt quickly reached up and gripped his shoulders. "I know. She needs to recover. You do too. You're rib still needs to repair." Gesturing to Heather, who was talking to Astrid, he continued to explain. "We're still healthy. More or less. Let us go and search while we fly home. Besides, the second reason is that I need to go check on Teton. It's been a month and some weeks since he…since he was hurt. This will help us get home faster. With the chance of finding Darien and Zekir."

"But-"

"Hiccup, we're going. You don't need us anymore." He continued to assure. "We'll still help you out, we still plan on visiting Dragon's Edge, and more importantly, we're going to fly with you against whatever Darien and Zekir throw at us. We're not abandoning you. I couldn't get myself to do that."

Hiccup stared at Matt with saddened eyes. "I don't want…I mean…"

Matt let a wry smile grow on his face, waiting for him to finish his thought.

Sighing, he shook his head and choked out. 'I…I just left Ukiah, now you're leaving. Seems like our numbers as Dragon Riders keep getting smaller."

"We're not leaving you. We never said that." Matt reaffirmed. "I told that to you the night I announced I was going to live with Heather, and you supported me with that."

"And I still do. I guess the reality of it is hitting me now." He admitted. Looking down, he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Hey! Buck up!" Matt laughed. "Honestly, as much as Dagur drives me up the wall, I'm probably going to visit Dragon's Edge a lot more than you think I am! Besides, I can't rest until we get some closure with Darien and Zekir. So I'll be actively searching for them with you. But honestly, they could be anywhere. And they're not going to show themselves until they're ready to mess with us again. The best thing we can do, is to prepare ourselves to receive them."

"You're right. I know it. Astrid knows it. Everyone knows it." Hiccup continued to say, nodding in agreement with him. "I guess I assumed you'd be with us for the trip."

"Sorry, but Heather wants to get home too. She's only been there for a few days before she came with us on this bit of an adventure. We'll be able to cut a week and some days out of the journey if we fly. And I promise I'll lose my mind if I have to stay on another ship for a whole month."

Smiling, Hiccup tenderly grabbed him in a hug, pulling him as tight as his rib would allow.

"Tell Stoick thanks. And that I'm making the most of my decision." He called out, walking over to Astrid, who still looked unhappy with the announcement that they were leaving.

"I will." He replied, walking up to Heather. Gently taking her in a hug, he whispered. "Thanks for coming with us, Heather. Even after you were welcomed back home. Seems a bit selfish on our part for taking you away from that."

"Hey, I wanted to come." She laughed, also hugging him back. "Besides, after all that you guys have done for me? It hardly pays you back."

Hiccup smiled, about to say something just as a cry of pain sounded off. Whirling around, he and Heather laughed as they saw Matt holding his shoulder and Astrid glaring at him.

"Well, I guess Matt has a better chance of keeping his arm if he leaves now." Hiccup teased.

"I doubt it." She replied back with a shake of her head. Turning to Hiccup, she looked at him with a concerned expression. "Hiccup, what are we going to do about the Dragon Book? Aside from Darien having it, what about us as Riders? It helped us train dragons!"

"I know…" He replied, looking dejected at the subject. "It's a loss that's not really possible to replace. Except for one thing. The Dragon Eye."

"Hiccup, the Dragon Eye is destroyed. Gone. Are you sure you don't have a backup book?"

Shaking his head, he tenderly pulled out a paper to show her.

Confused, she looked at the paper to see a drawing on it. Still confused, she studied carefully, until she recognized it. "No. Really?! You think that you can-"

"I do. All I'll need is some time." He replied, gazing at the drawing. It was a draft of a cylinder object. A new Dragon Eye!

"The information wasn't in the actual eye. It was in the lens that you could swap in an out of it. That's what I plan on building. Something to let us see what those lenses hold inside them."

Smiling, Heather nodded in agreement. "If anyone can do it, it's you Hiccup."

"Thanks." He replied sheepishly, tucking the paper back into his tunic. "Fly careful, will you? The last thing you need is another random adventure. You and Matt!"

"Don't worry. We're only keeping our eyes out while we fly home. We're not actually going to search for them." She affirmed, walking up to Windshear.

"Gah, maybe it's a good thing I'm no longer part of the group." Matt grunted, still rubbing his shoulder in pain. "I might be a cripple by the time I'm thru with you guys." Looking down at his leg, he then mumbled. "Well, more of a cripple anyways."

"Come on, we're burning daylight!" Heather laughed, watching him climb on Wasatch and strap himself into his bindings.

"Take care guys. Be safe." Hiccup called out, standing next to Astrid and holding her close.

"Seriously. I'll beat you to Valhalla if something happens to you two." Astrid growled, still glaring at them with no sign of letting up.

"I have no doubt…" Matt replied, rubbing his shoulder with extra energy to try and quell the pain. "Don't worry Hiccup! It's fall! Winter's around the corner and I still aim to snowboard this season! Count on me living at the Edge a ton during the first snowfall!"

"Oh, and I thought you'd want to visit us to say hi. Guess I shouldn't be surprised as to why you'd come back." He teased back, smiling at the two.

"Take care! Get better you two!" Heather yelled, launching Windshear into the air.

Matt tipped his beanie hat, and then followed, leaving a trail of lightning behind.

The two limped to the side of the ship, watching them continue to fly west.

"They're happy, aren't they." Hiccup observed quietly, watching Matt barrel roll around Heather.

Looking at him, Astrid let a small smile grow on her face. "Yeah, I think it's safe to say that. Kind of like me."

Hiccup's head snapped directly to her with a raised eyebrow, silently asking to explain what she meant.

"I get to be with you. On a ship going home. Recovering from…injuries. Knowing all my friends are content with their situations…yeah, I can say that I'm happy too."

"If you're happy, then I am too." He replied quietly. Squaring up to her, he whispered. "No matter what Darien or Zekir do. No matter what kind of crazy psychopath we run into; I'll always be happy with you by me and flying alongside."

Astrid smiled, knowing that whatever they would go through, they would still have the same feelings for each other.

"I was so terrified seeing you taken away. I couldn't even think of anything else." Hiccup continued to whisper. "The invasion, Bruvos, home, the Dragon Eye, even the Dragon Book…nothing mattered. I could only think of you." Grabbing her arms, careful not to jostle her, he looked into her eyes.

Staring back up at him, she saw him slowly close his eyes as he moved closer to her. Closing her eyes too, she leaned forwards and felt her lips connect with his.

Holding each other close, and still kissing each other, they let the time pass on. Regardless of what happened, they still loved each other. One thing they both knew without needing tell each other, they were going to go through everything together.

* * *

 ** _And like that, it's finished. I hope it was enjoyable. If you couldn't tell, this will tie into Seasons 5 & 6\. Which is a great connection to the next announcement. But first, a few special thanks:_**

 ** _TheWhisperingWarrior: For being THE most dedicated to following my stories. Almost always reviewing, and consistently PMing me, he's been great. Thank you so much for your support._**

 ** _FandomsPotatoes: For the encouraging PM's. She's been around and reviewing me for a long while now. I hope the future stories are ones you'll particularly enjoy._**

 ** _Cartwheellou: For PMing me and following me since the very first DB story. Again, I hope future stories are enjoyable._**

 ** _A special thank you for the those that did review and follow. I hope you continue to do so in the future!_**

 ** _Now, about the future. I got a few things to talk about:  
First, I'm not going to write another Dragon Boarder for a little while. I'm going to wait until Season 6 of RTTE comes out. I already have an idea for the story line that will happen, as there are quite a few BLARING differences my story and the actual show. So I want to see the ending and make sure my story will be complete when it comes out._**

 ** _Second, I'm a little burned out from the Dragon Boarder. I feel like the quality of the stories are still good, but I feel that I've been skimping a bit. I need to recharge and recover before I attempt to write possibly the last Dragon Boarder story. Possibly. Depends on what happens in the show and how motivated I am._**

 ** _Third and final reason, I really want to write something new that's been in my mind since the beginning of 2016. I love the Dragon Boarder. It's a great series, even if it's a biased opinion. However, I want to write something else. It has no ties to Matt or Ukiah. The draft I have for it is called A Hunter's Fate. It'll be a whole new adventure that will change some events in the RTTE, creating a different "what if?" scene. That's all I'll say right now, but that will be the next story I publish when I publish again._**

 ** _Again, I really hope you enjoyed the story, and I hope you all stay around for this new story. If not, then I guess I'll see you when I post the next Dragon Boarder!_**

 ** _Thanks for the support! Until I post again! Read on!_**

 ** _-Dustnblood_**


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